What Will You Be Doing For New Year's?

We've all been brought up on various New Year's traditions. For example, if you kiss someone at midnight, you'll have luck in love throughout the rest of the year (wonder if smooching a kitty counts?).  Eating pork is a symbol of good luck because pigs root forward (chickens and turkeys scratch backwards so don't eat poultry today). Black-eyed peas symbolize prosperity because they resemble coins, so eat up!

But there is a whole host of bizarre traditions from around the world. Therefore, if you're stuck on what to do to ring in the New Year, here are some other options:

South Africa

In downtown Johannesburg, locals throw old appliances and furniture out the window. These items can range from toasters to full-sized couches as a metaphor of out with the old and in with the new.  Heads up!

Colombia

Hoping for a travel-filled year, residents tote empty suitcases around the block.

Japan

The faithful wear a costume of the next year's zodiac animal (2014 is the year of the horse) to the local temple, where bells chime a sacred 108 times in alignment with the Buddhist belief that this brings cleanness.

Denmark

The Danes ring in the New Year by hurling old plates and glasses ... against the doors of friends' and relatives' houses.  They also stand on chairs and then jump off them together at midnight.  Leaping into January is supposed to banish bad spirits and bring good luck.

Spain

At midnight on New Year's Eve, it's customary in Spain to quickly eat 12 grapes (one at each stroke of the clock). Each grape supposedly signifies good luck for one month of the coming year. In Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, revelers congregate in the main squares to chow down on their grapes together while passing around bottles of cava (Spanish wine).

Finland

It's a longtime Finnish tradition to predict the coming year by casting molten tin into a container of water, and then interpreting the shape the metal takes after hardening. A heart or ring shape means a wedding in the new year; a ship forecasts travel; and a pig shape signifies plenty of food.  Hmmm... Not sure which one I'd wish for most.

Panama

Effigies of well-known people are traditionally burned in New Year's bonfires. The figures can include anyone from television characters to political figures.  The effigies represent the old year; immolating them is meant to drive off evil spirits for a fresh New Year's start.  Can you imagine who we might burn in effigy? 

Scotland

During the New Year's Eve celebration of Hogmanay, "first-footing" is practiced all over Scotland.  The custom dictates that the first person to cross the threshold of a home in the New Year should carry a gift for luck - whiskey is the most common gift. <gasp>  No! Say it ain't so!

Belarus

During the traditional celebration of Kaliady, still-unmarried women play games to predict who will be wed in the New Year. In one game, a pile of corn is placed before each woman, and a rooster is let go; whichever pile the rooster approaches first reveals who will be the first to marry. I assume the losers get to kill, pluck, and eat the rooster.  In another game, a married woman hides certain items around her house for her unmarried friends to find; the woman who finds bread will supposedly marry a rich husband; the one who finds a ring will marry a handsome one.  

Central and South America

In Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela, it’s considered lucky to wear special underwear on New Year’s Eve. In cities like São Paulo and La Paz, market vendors start displaying brightly colored underpants a few days before the holiday. The most popular colors are red and yellow -- red is supposed to bring love in the coming year, and yellow is supposed to bring money. Wonder if they have half red, half yellow undies.

Chile

In Chile, families spend the night in the company of their deceased loved ones by sleeping at the cemetery.

Ireland

In Ireland, they hit the walls with bread to get rid of evil spirits.

Siberia

There is a Siberian custom of cutting a hole in the ice covering Lake Baikal and diving to the lake’s bottom while carrying a New Year’s tree. Note: only professional divers participate - thank goodness.

North Carolina

Even in America there are strange customs. To ring in the new year in Brasstown, N.C.,  a live possum in a plexiglass box is lowered to the ground from a pole outside a convenience store, aka the "Possum Drop". This year's unusual tradition was in jeopardy after a PETA lawyer argued in court that the lights, noise and crowd of people can wreck a possum's nerves and health. However, a judge ruled Monday that the annual New Year's Eve show can go on. 

And you thought the ball dropping in Times Square was exciting.