Offbeat Ways New Year’s Eve is Celebrated

Poor Man Survival

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 Tired of the ordinary New Year’s Eve celebrations? 

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

About half of Americans plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home this year, while 2 in 10 say they’ll do so at a friend or family member’s home. Fewer than 1 in 10 plan to celebrate at a bar, restaurant or organized event, while about a quarter don’t plan to celebrate at all.

If toasting in the New Year with a glass of champagne at a large party is not really your cup of tea, get creative with your celebrations. We’ve gathered a handful of fresh activities you can easily turn into traditions. From water gun fighting, to jumping off of chairs, discover a new and unusual way to ring in this New Year’s Eve…

January 1st may be the de facto beginning of the New Year in the Western hemisphere thanks to the Gregorian calendar, but some cultures believe the New Year takes place at a different time altogether.

The Chinese New Year is in late January or early February. Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year — is in autumn, and some cultures follow the Julian lunar calendar and celebrate in mid-January.

Here are ways the New Year is celebrated in a few other nations…

In Spain, they eat 12 grapes for luck.

Spaniards eat a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the midnight countdown while making a wish. The tradition dates back to 1895 when some savvy vine farmers realized they had a surplus of grapes and started the tradition to get more customers.

In Belgium, children write New Year’s letters to their parents.

In Belgium, New Year’s Eve is called Sint Sylvester Vooranvond. Besides toasting with the customary champagne, Belgian children write New Year’s letters to their parents or godparents on New Year’s day.

In Greece, people hang an onion on their doors.

It’s believed that hanging an onion, or “kremmida” on your door on New Year’s eve as a symbol of rebirth in the coming year. The following morning, parents traditionally tap their children on the head with the kremmida to wake them up before church.

In Finland, people tell one another’s fortunes with melted “tin.”

A Finnish New Year tradition is called molybdomancy, which is the act of telling New Year’s fortunes by melting “tin” (actually lead) in a tiny pan on the stove and then quickly throwing it into a bucket of cold water.

In Ireland, women put mistletoe leaves under their pillows to find husbands.

Single women of Ireland place sprigs of mistletoe under their pillows on New Year’s night in the hope that it will bring them better luck and a future husband.

Also according to Irish superstition, be wary of who enters your home after the 31st — if the visitor is a tall, dark handsome man, your year will bring good fortune. If it’s a red-headed woman, she will bring a lot of trouble.

In Germany, they eat pigs made of marzipan and watch TV.

The German people eat jam-filled doughnuts made with or without liquor fillings on New Year’s Eve, as well as a tiny marzipan pig as a token of good luck.

Americans are closing out 2014 on an optimistic note, according to a new Associated Press-Times Square Alliance poll. Nearly half predict that 2015 will be a better year for them than 2014 was, while only 1 in 10 think it will be worse.

Welcome 2015 in with these champagne

Amaretto Mimosa

In a large measuring cup with pour spout, stir together 1 cup chilled OJ, ½ cup of Amaretto and a ½ cup triple sec. Pour into classes and top with champagne, garnish with a cherry or orange slice.  Serves 8

Champagne Cocktail

In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 Tbs. of Cointrea, 1 Tbs. of agave syrup, ice cubes, shake and then strain into flute and add champagne and ice if desired.

We served these at our little Arizona ranch each year and they were always a hit!

I hope your end of year celebrations are going well…

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’

The odd, the risqué and retro

http://RetroGuy.net