All around the world in different countries people do different Traditions so In the 14 Different ones listed you will see they all have different traditions.
Watching the Ball Drop:
At 11:59 p.m., the Ball begins its descent as millions of voices unite to countdown the final seconds of the year, and celebrate the beginning of a new year full of hopes, challenges, changes and dreams. Most Countries do this tradition.
Philippines: Wearing polka dots and eating round fruits:
To ensure a happy new year, the Filipino community believes that wearing round shapes (such as polka dots!) promotes prosperity and good luck. Additionally, eating round fruits—like oranges, watermelon, longan, grapes, and pomelos—is considered fortuitous as well. Many Filipinos gather 12 or 13 round fruits and display them as the centerpiece of their dinner table. Another fun one for kids? Jump as high as you can as soon as midnight hits. Some people believe that it will help them grow taller in the New Year.
Brazil: Wearing white while jumping into the ocean:
Wearing white on New Year’s Eve has long been a tradition with roots in Africa, as it symbolizes peace and spiritual cleansing. In Brazil, the Festa de Lemanjá takes place on this night to celebrate the Afro-Brazilian goddess of the sea. The culmination of the event is when everyone dressed in white runs into the water right at midnight to jump over seven waves. Each wave and jump signifies a different request the swimmer is making to a different orixá, or god. Consider them New Year’s resolutions or hopes, of sorts.
Mexico: Walking around with an empty suitcase:
Here’s one we can really get behind: In Mexico, there’s one tradition people participate in on New Year’s Eve to help ring in a year filled with travel and new experiences. People will walk around with an empty suitcase or set it in the middle of a room and stroll around it. Others go further and take a full lap around the block with their empty luggage. This tradition is practiced in other Latin American countries, too.
Cuba: Throwing a bucket of water out the front door:
In Cuba, people symbolically gather all of the bad spirits and negative energy from the past 365 days and toss them right out the front door. It’s not uncommon to see buckets full of dirty water flying out of homes during the countdown to midnight. Watch out if you find yourself strolling through a Cuban neighborhood on New Year’s Eve.
Greece: Hanging and smashing pomegranates:
Podariko, a Greek custom that roughly translates to “good foot,” aims to bring luck at the start of the year. Before the holiday, households will hang pomegranates, thought to be a sign of luck, prosperity, and fertility, from their door. Then, on New Year’s Eve just before midnight, everyone will shut off the lights and leave the house so they can send a lucky individual to be the first to reenter the house, right foot first. When done correctly, it brings the family good fortune for the year. Afterward, a second person will take the pomegranate in their right hand and smash it against the door to see just how much luck—the more juicy seeds that spill out, the more luck the new year will bring.
Germany: Melting lead to divine the future:
In much of German-speaking Europe, as well as Finland, Bulgaria, Czechia, and Türkiye, it’s customary to heat small pieces of lead, then cast them in cold water and make a prediction for the new year based on the shapes that form. For example, if a ball forms, luck will roll your way. These days, kits throughout German-speaking countries include tin—rather than lead—figurines to melt.
Russia: 12 seconds of silence before midnight:
Russians say thank you to the past year by remembering its most important events during the hours leading up to midnight, and they use 12 seconds of silence before the stroke of midnight to make wishes.
Spain: Searching for the man with many noses:
In the Catalonia region of northern Spain, a special character appears on the last day of the year. L’home dels nassos, or the man with many noses, has as many noses as there are days left in the year—and he grants wishes, if you can find him. According to this Spanish tradition, children are encouraged to look for him, rarely realizing that on the last day of the year, he only has one nose left and is, therefore, hard to spot.
Denmark: Jumping into the new year:
Denmark is usually associated with cozy concepts like hygge, but New Year’s is a totally different story. At midnight, Danes will jump off a chair or sofa—literally jumping into the new year. It’s seen as good luck if you do and bad luck if you don’t, so be sure to take a leap if you ever ring in New Year’s in Denmark. They also have a tradition of breaking plates, which represents the act of removing negative energy and ill will.
Italy and Spain: Wearing red underwear:
Italians and Spaniards both wear red underwear for luck. However, Spaniards insist the underwear must also be new to be lucky. Italians, however, take things a step farther: They often throw old items out the window to symbolize the coming of new things with the New Year.
Japan: Visiting a temple for lucky charms:
Japan’s New Year’s traditions have a wholesome focus. Shōgatsu (New Year) is usually celebrated with a visit to the local temple to exchange last year’s lucky charms (omamori) for new ones. Afterward, people will feast on traditional New Year’s foods, such as prawns (believed to bring a long life) and herring roe (to boost fertility).
Ireland: Setting an extra place at the table:
The Irish have several New Year’s traditions, such as banging the outside walls of their houses with bread to keep away bad luck and evil spirits and starting the year with a spotless, freshly cleaned home. But one of the most well-known is setting an additional plate at the dinner table for any loved ones lost in the prior year.
