GEP Newsletter Winter 2008-09

Text Box: 1) Carrying a Baby
The tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year was started around 600 B.C by the ancient Greeks who, at the start of a year, would carry a baby around in a basket. The purpose of it was to honor Dionysus, the God of Fertility, and symbolize his annual rebirth.

2) Burning Tar
The New Year celebration in Scotland is called Hogmanay. People in Scotland follow a ritual that has a great significance. Barrels of tar are set afire and gradually rolled down the streets in the villages. This ritual symbolizes that the old year is burned up and New Year is going to begin.

3) Burning "Mr. Old Year"
In Columbia, Cuba and Puerto Rico, families stuff a life-sized male doll with things and then they dress it up in old clothes from each family member. At the stroke of midnight, this 'Mr. Old Year' is set on fire. This is done with the simple belief that a doll thus stuffed have bad memories or sadness associated with them, and that the burning of these will help one to do away with all past griefs and usher in happiness in life with the coming year.

4) Eating Noodles
Late on the evening of December 31st, people of Japan eat a bowl of buckwheat noodles called "toshikoshisoba" ("year-crossing noodles") and listen for the sound of the Buddhist temple bells, which were rung 108 times at midnight. The sound of these bells is said to purify the listeners of the 108 sins or evil passions that plague every human being.

5) Eating 12 Grapes
In Spain, people eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight (one each time the clock chimes) on New Year's Eve. This peculiar ritual originated in the twentieth century when freak weather conditions resulted in an unseasonable bumper harvest of grapes. Not able to decide what to do about so many grapes at Christmas time, the King of Spain and the grape growers came up with the idea of the New Year ritual.

6) Looking for Gifts in Shoes
In Greece, children leave their shoes by the fireside on New Year's Day (also the Festival of Saint Basil in Greece) with the hope that Saint Basil, who was famous for his kindness, will come and fill their shoes with gifts.

7) Carrying a Suitcase
In Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico, those with hopes of traveling in the New Year carry a suitcase around the house at midnight. Some even carry it around the block to ensure they will travel greater distances.

8) Burning Crackers
The people in China believe that there are evil spirits that roam the earth. So on New Year they burn crackers to scare the evil spirits. The doors and windows of homes in China are sealed with paper at the New Year. This is to keep the evil demons out.

9) Lowering a Ball at Times Square
The first Ball Lowering celebration atop One Times Square was held on December 31, 1907 and is now a worldwide symbol of the turn of the New Year, seen via satellite by more than one billion people each year. The original New Year's Eve Ball weighed 700 pounds and was 5 feet in diameter. It was made of iron and wood and was decorated with 100 25-watt light bulbs.

10) Eating Lucky Foods
It was thought that one could affect the luck one would have throughout the coming year by what one did or ate on the first day of the year. It is still held in some regions that special New Year foods are the harbingers of luck. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune. The hog and its meat are considered lucky because hogs symbolize prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day. The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized productivity.

11) Eating Black-eyed Peas
People in many parts of the U.S. celebrate the New Year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures.

12) Rings
Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle.

13) Wearing New Slippers
In China, many people wear a new pair of slippers in the new year; it means they are stepping on the people who gossip about them.

15) Giving Apologies
The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. It is a holy time when Jews recall the things they have done wrong in the past, apologize for mistakes they made during the year, and then promise to do better in the future. Special services are held in the synagogues, children are given new clothes, and New Year loaves are baked to remind people of harvest time.

16) Wearing New Clothes
On New Year's Day in Japan, everyone gets dressed in their new clothes. Homes are decorated with pine branches and bamboo, both of which are considered to be symbols of long life.

17) Making Resolutions
40 to 45% of American adults make one or more New Year's resolutions each year. These resolutions range from debt reduction to giving up bad habits. The ones that are the most common deal with weight loss, exercise, and giving up smoking.

We hope you have enjoyed this New Year’s trivia. The New Year is the perfect time to make resolutions and have a fun-filled day. Take in the coming year with open arms. Have a blast! http://www.theholidayspot.com/newyear/around_the_world.htm

Winter 2008-09

“The peer support groups have saved my life in so many ways. The conferences and peer support has shown me that I'm not alone and I’m no different than anybody else. It helped me to realize I'm not such a bad person after all. Thanks personally to everybody who has helped me understand all of that, because I feel so much better overall.”

-Pam M.

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