Years ago I thought it was necessary to welcome the new year with a celebration of some sort. At the very least, I thought one should stay up until midnight to usher in the new year.

During my high school years a classmate hosted a New Years’ Eve party at her home. We were country kids — no booze, no hanky panky — but we had a good time and stayed up late enough to wish each other a Happy New Year.

Fifty years ago this month a New Year’s Eve party tradition began that lives on today. Nowadays, however, the remnants of the original party group plan to get together at noon on a weekday in January. Some of us are having difficulty driving at night!

Nonetheless, I expect there will be many New Year’s Eve parties again this year.

Here in the U.S, the dropping of the ball at midnight on Times Square in New York City is a well-known tradition to which even we Midwesterners can relate. The people of many nations have new year traditions.

In Spain, for instance, there is an old tradition which maintains that if you eat one grape in each of the 12 seconds prior to midnight, you will have good luck in the year ahead. Your mouth may be too full to kiss your honey at midnight; maybe you kiss before the grape feast.

In Brazil and some other South American countries it is customary to wear special underwear on New Years’ Eve. While not a mandatory hue, the most popular underwear color is red. Red underwear is believed to bring love in the new year. If you wear yellow underwear you can expect money in the year ahead.

Food plays a role in new year traditions in some countries. I understand that an onion helps welcome in the new year in Greece. It is a tradition there to hang an onion on your front door. This is a symbol of rebirth in the new year.

Meanwhile, in Northern Europe’s Estonia, folks try to eat seven, nine or 12 times during New Year’s Day. These are considered lucky numbers and the thinking is that the more they eat the more food they will have in the new year. I like this custom.

In Scotland they celebrate “first-footing” on New Year’s Eve. If you are the first person to cross the threshold of a home in the new year you are expected to carry a gift for good luck.

The otherwise level-headed Danes have a couple of unique new year traditions. In Denmark, I have read, residents welcome the new year by tossing old plates and glasses against the doors of friends. This is supposed to expel bad spirits. The other tradition is, I assume, for the younger folks. Some Danes stand on chairs and at the stroke of midnight and jump off the chairs in unison. The premise is that they are leaping into the new year with the hope of good luck. Fortunately, Denmark has national medicine.

Then there are the Philippines where round shapes play a role in the new year celebration. Round shaped coins symbolize prosperity in the new year. Many Filipinos wear polka dots for good luck. Remember that grape-eating custom in Spain? (See above.) Numerous Filipino families follow this custom, too.

In Germany’s East Friesland and the neighboring Groningen province of the Netherlands, specken dicken is a popular new year treat. The custom of cooking specken dicken continues in East Frisian communities in the United States. (I’m unsure of the correct spelling. “Speck” is the German word for bacon; “dick” can be translated as thick, fat or greasy.)

Specken dicken is a German pancake made from rye, wheat or graham flour, bacon and sausage, aniseed and other spices. Some cooks add raisins. Prepared with abundant lard, they are served hot but are also eaten cold in subsequent days.

I understand that in Germany some folks aid their digestion of the greasy treats with pingelsöpke — a mixture of schnapps and small amount of sugar.

While I am a descendant of East Frisians I am not particularly fond of the little pancake. The anise is a bit too much for my taste. But then I have never tried specken dicken with pingelsöpke.

Whatever your tradition, Happy New Year.

Arvid Huisman can be contacted at huismaniowa@gmail.com. ©2023 by Huisman Communications.