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Fiery, fun traditions mark the new year

Cleaning in Japan, grapes in Spain among customs.

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By Ria Megnin, Contributing Writer 6:12 PM Friday, December 30, 2011

As holidays go, New Year’s Eve is pretty straightforward. Parties, countdowns, champagne toasts, and we’re done.

But that’s just in America.

Joy Schwab, Dayton Metro Library reference library, said it’s easy to incorporate a few “interesting customs” from around the world.

From the Far East

New Year’s is Japan’s most important holiday, and serves as a renewal symbol.

“The thing I like about the Japanese tradition is they clean out the house,” Schwab says. “The dirt from last year is swept out to prevent bad luck, and they tie the brooms with red and white strings so they don’t sweep away the good luck. And they forgive all misunderstandings and grudges from the past year, which is something I think is good for everyone.”

To be a little more Japanese this holiday, you can follow up your housecleaning with a delicious soup of buckwheat noodles for “a smooth transition,” then find a bell to mark the moment of 2012’s arrival. Close to midnight, temple bells throughout Japan ring 108 times to welcome the new year, she says, “and to clean the 108 human weaknesses described in the teachings of Buddha.”

Grape tradition

If you celebrate the New Year in Spain, then don’t worry about missing the countdown.

“In Spain, you eat one grape for each strike of the clock at midnight, which will secure 12 happy months in the coming year,” Schwab says. “The grape-eating custom is so entrenched, the shows are interrupted so everyone can eat their 12 grapes and drink their muscatel wine.”

In the Netherlands, though, you’ll want to have the fire department on speed dial.

“On New Year’s Eve, the Dutch burn Christmas trees and launch fireworks to drive away the evil spirits,” she says.

Christmas and Halloween, too

Just when you thought Christmas was over, there’s one more chance to be generous. In Russia, Father Frost, who looks a lot like Santa Claus, shows up at parties to give gifts to all the children and wish them a happy new year. But this German tradition, from which we get the custom of spinning noisemakers and tooting paper horns, sounds like Halloween.

“According to ancient Germanic folk beliefs, the only way to drive out demons, devils and other evil spirits on the last night of the year is by making noise,” Schwab says.

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