New Year’s Eve is one holiday that practically the whole world celebrates. It is a time to celebrate everything that you’ve accomplished in the past year, and reflect and learn from any mistakes or mishaps that may have occurred. It is a chance to leave the past behind, and welcome the upcoming year with a fresh start.

People celebrate in different ways. There are millions of people who attend the grand events around the world like the ball drop in New York’s Times Square or enjoying the fireworks in the city they live in. Some just like spending time with the company of close friends and family. People have different personal traditions like deciding on resolution, having a festive meal, or kissing the person they love.

With the whole world celebrating the same thing, there are bound to be countless differences in the way we celebrate. Everyone wishes for a good year ahead of them, and these traditions are rooted in that with.

Here are some of the quirky ways people around the world welcome the new year.

15 Surrounding yourself with round things. - Philippines

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There are a few different New Year's traditions and superstitions in the Philippines. One of the most popular ones that people adhere to is buying round fruits to have at your house when welcoming the New Year. Round things, representing coins, are believed to invite good luck and prosperity. Filipinos would even wear polka dots on New Year’s Eve. It is even encouraged to keep lots of coins in your pockets when welcoming the New Year with the belief that doing so would keep your pockets always full of money in the upcoming year.

14 Breaking glass dishes - Denmark

In Denmark, people would save their old dishes and plates throughout the year so that they can throw them at the doors of their family and friends when the new year comes. Throwing dishes at your loved ones homes shows them how much you value them as friends. The remnants of the broken dishes left on a person’s front door would indicate how well loved he or she may be. The more dishes broken on their door means the more well-wishes they’ve had from friends and family.

13 Walking around with an empty suitcase - Colombia/Ecuador

Do you have a case of wanderlust and are just dreaming of traveling? Well, in Colombia and Ecuador, they have a peculiar superstition for those who are wishing for a year of adventure ahead of them. On New Year’s Day, people would walk around with empty suitcases around their block in hopes that this would mean they would have a year filled with travel and adventure ahead of them.

12 Burning things - Ecuador

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Ever burned an ex’s picture or letters to symbolically rid yourself of the baggage? Well, this New Year’s tradition in Ecuador shares a similar concept. In Ecuador, locals would take a photo of something they don’t want to bring with them in the upcoming year or miniature models of what they believed to be “sinners” such as politicians or celebrities. At the stroke of midnight, they set the objects on fire. This is meant to banish the evil and bad luck of the previous year and have a fresh start to the new year.

11 Eating twelve grapes - Spain

Grapes are a staple for New Year’s Eve celebrations in Spain. There’s a fun traditional game surrounding grapes for this occasion. On New Year’s Eve, a person would have twelve grapes with him or her, each representing every month of the year. At the stroke of midnight, Spanish people would try to completely consume all twelve grapes. It is believed that those who are able to do this will enjoy good luck in the next 12 months of the upcoming year.

10 First footing - Scotland

In Scotland, there is a tradition called “first footing,” and this is taken pretty seriously in the country and still followed today. To ensure good luck for the household, there’s a specific tradition surrounding the first person who will set foot in the house after the stroke of midnight. They get pretty specific about the details. The first person should be a dark male, bringing specific gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, black bun, and whisky. The dark male bit is believed to have originated from the Viking days, where having someone who looked like a viking step through your door is bad news.

9 Onion reading and bear dance - Romania

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Similar concept to reading tea leaves, in Romania, locals would peel onions on New Year’s Eve, salt them, and then attempt to determine the type of year you have ahead of you by reading the skin. They also end the year with a parade of dancing bears. It’s tradition in Romania to dance and sing through the streets in bear fur. The tradition is believed to keep evil away.

8 New Year’s cleaning - South Africa

In South Africa, you better watch for your heads, literally. In an attempt to have a fresh start, residents in South Africa, specifically in Hillsboro, throw their old furniture out the window. It’s like early spring cleaning, except on New Year’s Eve. Although this tradition is seemingly fun and practical, this has proven to be pretty dangerous. In past years, people have been struck by falling furniture. Someone was even hit on the head by a small refrigerator. Police have begun to crack down on this tradition to prevent further accidents.

7 Greeting livestock for good luck - Belgium

In Belgium, people go beyond just greeting their family and friends a “Happy New Year.” It is also tradition to greet pets and livestock as well. Talking to animals is believed to bring upon good health and luck in the upcoming year. A similar superstition is also practiced in Romania where farmers would try to listen to their animals talk.

6 A rooster predicts who will marry next - Belarus

This tradition is a similar concept to a bride throwing her bridal bouquet to her female guests, and whoever catches it will be the next to get married. In Belarus, the mechanics of this game are slightly different. The bride and bouquet of flowers are replaced with corn kernels and a rooster. The idea is that each woman would lay down corn in front of them and they would set a rooster lose to eat the corn. The lucky woman whose corn the rooster chooses to eat is the first person who will get married in the upcoming year.

5 Wearing white - Brazil

Brazil is known to have one of the biggest New Year’s Eve party in the world, held in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond this huge celebration, Brazilians also practice a few traditions that are believed to bring good luck in the new year. People usually spend the night at the beach wearing white, a symbol of peace and renewal. Aside from wearing white, there are few more superstitions that accompany this tradition. Some hop three times on one leg to symbolize welcoming the new year on the right foot. While others make seven wishes and jump over seven waves, as a tribute to Lemanja, the goddess of the sea.

4 Fistfights with your neighbours - Peru

In Peru, specifically in the province of Chumbivilcas, residents take part in an annual fist fight with their neighbors called “Tankanakuy.” The residents will physically battle it out with their neighbors in attempt to settle old conflicts and have a fresh start in time for the new year. This is a day long festival that occurs on December 25, enough time for everyone to be able to settle their difference in time to welcome the New Year in a few days.

3 Celebrating at the cemetery - Chile

Many countries celebrate a few holidays throughout the year where they spend some time to visit their deceased relatives’ graveyards. But in Chile, some people celebrate New Year's Eve at the cemetery. In an attempt to include all family members, even ones that are deceased, in the celebrations, it is a tradition for many to visit a cemetery to have a New Year’s Eve mass there. Then, they will continue celebrating the New Year with family members that have passed on by setting up chairs by their graves.

2 Eating many meals - Estonia

One tradition in Estonia is to eat multiple meals on New Year’s Day, and by multiple meals, they mean a minimum of seven meals. The tradition is centered on the belief that if a person eats seven to twelve full meals on New Year’s Day, he will have the strength of seven to twelve men. It could also mean that he or she will see an abundance of food in the upcoming year.

1 Burning a wish and drinking it - Russia

Many Russians take part in an interesting tradition of making a wish on New Year’s Eve. They write their wish on a piece of paper and burn it with a candle. The ashes of the paper is then mixed in a glass of champagne. At the stroke of midnight, the champagne that the ashes are mixed in and then it is consumed by the wisher, with the hopes that their wish will come true in the upcoming year.

Sources: mic.com, msn.com, cntraveler.com

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