3, 2, 1, Happy New Year! Kita semua rindu dengan teriakan itu di tengah alun-alun atau pantai bersama dengan keluarga maupun teman. Tahun Baru adalah suatu perayaan dalam berbagai budaya guna merayakan pergantian tahun pada akhir bulan Desember ke awal bulan Januari. Kemudian, perayaan akan dilanjutkan dengan perhitungan awal tahun kembali. Begitulah perayaan dari tahun ke tahun mengenai malam Tahun Baru. Selain itu, setiap budaya yang memiliki kalender tahunan pasti punya tanggal untuk Tahun Baru.
Pada awalnya, perayaan Tahun Baru muncul pada tahun 2000 SM di Timur Tengah. Penduduk Mesopotamia melakukan perayaan perpindahan tahun ketika matahari tepat berada di atas garis khatulistiwa (20 Maret). Oleh karena itu, pastinya di setiap negara memiliki tradisi menyambut malam tahun barunya masing-masing. Lalu, tradisi apa sajakah itu dan bagaimana dengan tips merayakan tahun baru di masa pandemi seperti ini? Kita tengok, yuk!
New Year’s Eve Traditions
Apart from igniting fireworks and blowing trumpets, there are all kinds of New Year’s Eve traditions in other parts of the world. Then, have you heard of these traditions before? Now, take a look at 9 New Year’s Eve traditions below!
1. Songkran Festival (Thailand)
Unlike New Year’s Eve in other countries, Thai people believe that their traditional new year falls every year in April. Thus, the celebration takes place on April 13-15. The reason is that traditionally, Thai people have their own calendar apart from the common Gregorian calendar.
So, Thailand hosts the Songkran festival for three days every year. Besides this time frame, the festival is carried out by spraying and splashing water on anyone they meet on the street.
2. Jump Around! (Brazil and Denmark)
Every year on New Year’s Eve, the Danes will stand on chairs together. Then, when the new year arrived, they would jump off the chairs. Thus, they do this with the hope of getting good luck in the new year.
Similarly, in Brazil, they go to the beach and jump over seven waves on New Year’s Eve while also making seven wishes for the new year. It is believed that they do it seven times because number 7 means good luck. Same with the Danes, all of these jumps are done so that people can wish for something good in the new year!
3. Joya no Kane (Japan)
In Japan, the people have a tradition during New Year’s Eve where they ring a large bell at Buddhist temples during the night. The traditional ceremony is also known as Joya no Kane (Tolling Bell Ceremony). They will ring a bell 108 times, which is believed by the people that ringing the bell can drive away evil spirits and human sins.
4. Za Zdorovjie (Russia)
Next, in Russia, people take their New Year’s wishes seriously, and they will try to make sure their wishes will come true. Russians then write their wishes on a piece of paper and burn the paper. After that, they put the ashes in a glass of champagne and drink it. Cheers!
5. Maleta Vacía and Champana (Ecuador)
Then, we move on to the next country, Ecuador in South America. In this country, there is also the sight of people running around residential blocks with empty suitcases when celebrating New Year. Besides that, the tradition of Maleta Vacia is believed to make people visit more holiday tourist destinations.
The people of Ecuador also have another unique tradition during the new year, namely Champana. This tradition is demonstrated by pouring champagne all over the body on New Year’s Eve as it symbolizes prosperity in the new year.
6. Paint the Front Door Red (China)
In China, Chinese people believe that painting the front door of the house with red color when they celebrate New Year or Chinese New Year will invite fortune for them. Apart from painting doors, people often put red ribbon cutouts on windows and doors as a sign of good luck for the coming year. Because red is considered the color of good fortune happiness in Feng Shui, people in China do this kind of tradition every year.
7. Cotechino con Lenticchie (Italy)
Next, if you like to eat food so much, you have to be a prosperous person. In Italy, the traditional dishes that Italians eat during New Year’s Eve are called as cotechino and also lenticchie (sausage and lentils). The reason is that it is said that food can bring all kinds of good luck in the new year. Besides that, lentils are likened to money that shows wealth. Then, the dinner tradition will end with fried balls topped with honey and powdered sugar.
8. Dive into A Frozen Lake (Russia)
Then, in Siberia in Russia, as a brave Siberian diver, there is a unique tradition of making a hole in the frozen Lake Baikal and diving into the like while planting a tree. The Lena River in Siberia is also another location for Siberians to celebrate the New Year.
Like Christmas trees, Siberians plants New Year’s trees as symbols of starting something new. However, one thing that should be remembered is that this tradition is only open to professional divers who are experienced and strong enough to dive.
9. Throw the Sofa (South Africa)
Finally, for those of you who are going to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Johannesburg, South Africa, don’t be surprised to see the view of the ‘flying’ sofa. Why? Because throwing an unused sofa from the window of a house or apartment is a tradition that has been carried out for decades.
This tradition is a symbol for throwing past problems and also starting something new. It’s no surprise then that people in Johannesburg often stock up on refrigerators, sofas, and other vintage items, weeks before New Year’s Eve.
Tips to Celebrate New Year’s Eve Safely
Quoted from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday (11/17/2020), here are some safe ways for you to celebrate the end of this year:
- First, wear a mask of two layers or more to prevent transmission of Covid-19.
- Second, maintain a distance of at least 1.5 meters from people who do not live with you.
- Third, wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or you can use hand sanitizer (minimum 60% alcohol).
- Fourth, bring your food, drink, plates, glasses, and utensils.
- Fifth, if you are hosting guests at home, make sure the people present to follow the steps above so they can meet safely. Some of the other steps you can add as a host include:
- Clean and also disinfect frequently touched and used surfaces and items.
- Next, limit the number of people around the food area.
- Then, ask guests to bring their own drinks and food.
- Finally, if sharing a meal, ask one person to serve the meal and use the single-use option.
Celebrate The New Year at Home
New Year’s Eve accompanied by warmth from your family or relatives can make you feel very happy. Why do we need to go out if staying at home, which is more pleasant, more affordable, and closer to our beds, can make us happy? Also, celebrating New Year’s Eve at home is the safest and shortest option during this pandemic. This option is also preferable by medical workers rather than going outside. After all, did you know that there are many creative ways to celebrate the new year, even at home?
Therefore, according to PopSugar, there are a few tips to make this New Year’s Eve no less fun and special than previous years. You can share it with friends, family, and also your partners!
- Prepare your favorite food, drink, change of clothes, and also movies.
- You can also watch the movies together with friends even though you are not in one location with the Rave application or Caracal.
- Playing games and watching live videos of the New Year’s Eve festival is no less amusing as well.
- Don’t forget to prepare your favorite cake!
Vocabulary Corner
Finally, those are some traditions and tips in different countries for celebrating New Year’s Eve. Then, did you have any difficulties while reading this article? Moreover, what words you don’t understand here? Try to look at the table below to find out English vocabulary that you also don’t know!
| English Words | Arti dalam Bahasa Indonesia |
| Spraying | Menyemprotkan |
| Splashing | Mengguyur |
| Ashes | Abu |
| Champagne | Sampanye (minuman mengandung alkohol) |
| Commonplace | Biasa |
| Prosperity | Kemakmuran |
| Cutouts | Guntingan |
| Lentils | Kacang-kacangan |
| Stock up | Menyimpan |
| Utensils | Peralatan (makan) |
Then, do you have a resolution for the year 2021? Don’t forget to add a resolution for learning English, okay? After that, you can visit Engliven’s other blog too here. Last but not least, Happy New Year for all of you!
