The New Year's Eve is December 31st, the final day of the Gregorian Year, and the day before
the New Year's Day. New Year's eve has its separate identity. In the 21st century western
practice, the New Year's Eve is celebrated with parties and social gatherings until 12'0
clock midnight. The parties continue till then, till the anxiety of the New Year exists.
New Year's Eve is celebrated around the world. Most of the countries uses fireworks as part
of the celebration. People like to share gifts and have fun in pubs, clubs, restaurants,
main places in the city with friends and relatives.
In Canada, New Year's Eve day is a social holiday. In major metropolitan areas such as
Toronto and Montreal, major celebrations with music and fireworks are often held at midnight.
Another New Years extravaganza that attracts tens of thousands of people is the new years
celebration in Niagara Falls. In some areas, such as in rural Quebec, people ice fish
and drink with their friends until the early hours of January 1st.
Mexicans celebrate New Year's Eve, by downing a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the
bell during the midnight countdown, while making a wish with each one. Mexican families
decorate homes and parties, during New Year's, with colors such as red, to encourage an
overall improvement of lifestyle and love, yellow to encourage blessings of improved employment
conditions, green to improve financial circumstances and white to improved health.
In United States, New Year's Eve is an occasion celebrated with elegant formal parties and
family-oriented activities. New Year's Eve is traditionally the busiest day of the year at Walt
Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, where the parks stay
open late and the usual nightly fireworks are supplemented by an additional New Year's
Eve-specific show at midnight.
Over 60 cities nationwide celebrate First Night, a non-alcohol family-friendly New Year's
Celebration, generally featuring performing artists, community events, parades, and fireworks
displays to celebrate the New Year.
In Japan, New Year's Eve is a preparation day to welcome toshigami, new year's god. Therefore,
traditionally, people clean their home and prepare Kadomatsu and/or Shimenawa to welcome the
god before New Year's Eve. Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight. This
tradition is called joya no kane which means "bell rings on new year eve's night."
In Philippines, people wear clothes with circular patterns like polka dots,
this signifies the belief that circles attract money and fortune or other colorful clothing to
show enthusiasm for the coming year. Throwing coins at the stroke of midnight is said to
increase wealth that year.
In Romania, the celebration of the New Year's Eve has a totally traditional flavor. On New
Year's Eve in Romania, small school going children sing Plugusorul and Sorcova. The songs wish
good luck, happiness and success.
In Italy, Italians call New Year's Eve Capodanno (the "head of the year") or Notte di San
Silvestro (the night of St.Silvestro). Traditionally there are a set of rituals for the new
year, such as wearing red underwear and getting rid of old or unused items by dropping them
from the window, but this is an old tradition, followed by quite nobody today.
At midnight, fireworks are displayed across Italy. A lentil stew is eaten when bell tolls
midnight - one spoon per bell. This is supposed to bring good fortune, the lentils
represent coins, being round in shape.
In Russia, the celebration usually starts one or two hours before midnight and the common
tradition is to "say farewell to the old year" by remembering most important events of the
last twelve months. When the Kremlin clock bell rings 12 times, last 12 seconds of the year
people keep silence and make their secret wishes for the next year.
In India, most celebrations take place in the major metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi,
Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Guwahati. In Hyderabad, fireworks,
street racings and brawls are very common. Goa is one of the most visited spot during new
year celebration both by Indian and foreign tourists.