New Year's Eve (redirected from Silvesterabend)

New Year's Eve

December 31

The last day of the year is usually greeted with mixed emotions—joy and anticipation on the one hand, melancholy and regret on the other. Some celebrate by attending midnight church services, while others congregate in public places like Times Square in New York City, or Trafalgar Square in London, Glasgow's George Square or Edinburgh's Iron Kirk to count down the closing seconds of the old year. In the United States, people congregate at parties, some lasting all night, and many people spend New Year's Eve in front of the television watching other people celebrate. In recent years, celebrations in time zones all over the world have also been televised, so viewers can celebrate several times in one night, if they wish.
In Scotland, December 31 is known as Old Year's Night, or Hogmanay. Although there are a number of theories about the derivation of the name, the tradition it refers to involves handing out pieces of oat-cake to poor children, who go from door to door calling out "Hogmanay!" In the United States, the Scottish song "Auld Lang Syne," with lyrics by poet Robert Burns, is sung at almost every New Year's Eve celebration, while in London, the Scots at St. Paul's Churchyard toast and sing.
In Denmark the New Year is "shot in" with a thunderous explosion of fireworks, rockets, and Chinese pistols. In some villages, young people play pranks such as those done on Halloween in the United States.
Iceland has bonfires to clean up trash and elf dances, because elves are believed to be about on this night and might want to stop and rest on their way.
Neapolitans believe it brings luck to throw pots and dishes out the windows at midnight.
On the last two days of the year in Japan, a fire watch is implemented to prepare for the New Year, their most important holiday. Young men gather into groups then go to separate parts of the towns. They carry a clapper which they sound every few yards, crying out, "take care with fire."
Armenian families spend the night at home feasting. During the celebration, the neighbors, one at a time, lower a basket of presents down the chimney, then it is the recipients' turn to go to their neighbors.
Romanian boys used to go around to their neighbors with a plugusorul, a little plough, which may be a remnant of the Roman Opalia, the festival to the goddess of abundance, Ops. Later they changed to a homemade drum that sounds like a bull, which is what pulls the plough through the meadow. They ring cow bells and crack whips and recite hundreds of verses of their country story at the top of their lungs.
See also First Night; Ladouvane; Omisoka

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 868
BkDays-1864, vol. II, p. 787
BkFest-1937, pp. 63, 99, 117, 306, 335
DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 325
DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 12, 842, 1100
EncyChristmas-2003, pp. 549, 755
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 256
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 21, 30, 84, 149, 159, 187, 209, 242
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 1
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 773
GdWrldFest-1985, p. 168
OxYear-1999, p. 542

Celebration day: Dec 31

Celebrated in: Armenia, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Japan, Latvia, Panama, Philippines, San Marino, Spain, Thailand

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New Year's Eve (Brazil)

December 31

One of the most exotic New Year's Eve celebrations in the world takes place along the beaches of Brazil—particularly Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, where thousands of followers of CandomblÉ, a religion practiced in Brazil, meet to pay homage to the ocean goddess, Yemanjá (or Iemanjá). Dressed in white and carrying fresh flowers, candles, and cachaça (sugarcane alcohol), they flock to the beach around 10 o'clock and lay out tablecloths surrounded by candles and covered with gifts for the goddess. Animal sacrifices are not uncommon.
The ceremony reaches its peak at midnight, when fireworks go off and people rush into the water—shrieking, sobbing, or singing—carrying their flowers and gifts for Yemanjá. If the waves carry their gifts out to sea, it means that the goddess was satisfied and they can go home happy. It is considered an ill omen if the ocean throws back their gifts.

CONTACTS:
RIOTUR - City of Rio de Janeiro Tourism Authority
Piazza Pio X, 119 / 9th Ctr.
Rio de Janeiro, 20040-020 Brazil
55-21-2271-7000; fax: 55-21-2223-4871
www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br/pt

Celebration day: Dec 31

Celebrated in: Brazil

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New Year's Eve (Ecuador)

December 31

Many Ecuadorians celebrate the Old Year, Año Viejo, on December 31 by stuffing an old shirt and pair of pants with straw and sewing them together to make an effigy of a man. With a hat on his head, a pipe in his mouth, and a cane in his hand, the scarecrow figure sits in a chair in front of the house, sometimes under an arch made of cypress branches. Someone draws up a mock "last will and testament" listing various family members' faults that must be done away with. At midnight, or earlier if there are small children in the house, someone reads the will aloud and everyone makes jokes about its contents. Then the straw figure is lit with a match, and the faults of the Old Year go up in flames. Sometimes the old man's "widow" goes from house to house, dressed in black and begging for contributions to charity.
After the straw men have burned and the widows have come in from the streets, everyone sits down to enjoy the spiced foods typically served on this night. The most popular is a crisp fried pastry in the shape of a doughnut, which is dipped into a brown sugar syrup.

SOURCES:
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 16
BkHolWrld-1986, Dec 31
(c)

Celebration day: Dec 31

Celebrated in: Ecuador

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New Year's Eve (Germany) (Silvesterabend)

December 31

In different areas of Germany, it is considered lucky to eat certain foods on the last night of the old year. Carp is served frequently, not only in homes but in fashionable city restaurants. Another favorite is Silvesterabend punch, a hot drink made from red wine flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Feuerzangenbowle, or "fire tongs punch," has special cones of sugar, soaked in liquor, suspended over the punch bowl. When they are set aflame, the alcoholic sugar drips into the hot wine below. In Baden, a special dried pea soup is considered to bring good luck when served on New Year's Eve. Along the lower Rhine, "little New Year" yeast cookies are baked in the form of spiral wreaths, pretzels, or circles. Everyone leaves a bit of each food served on his or her plate until after midnight in the belief that it will ensure a well-stocked pantry in the coming year.
According to ancient Germanic folk belief, the only way to drive out demons, devils, and other evil spirits on the last night of the year is by making noise. Grown men can be seen riding hobby horses up and down the streets of German villages on New Year's Eve at midnight, and Buttenmandl ("Little Butten Men"), who are peasants dressed in straw clothing and deerskin animal masks, ring bells and drag clanking chains through the streets in an effort to drive out evil spirits.
In the Bavarian Alps, shooting parties are still popular. Sometimes members of shooting societies will climb a mountain and shoot off 500 or more old mortars in unison. ( See Christmas Shooting.)
In the Bavarian town of Oberammergau, a "star singer" carrying a large illuminated star on a long pole leads a New Year's Eve procession that lasts for several hours ( see also Epiphany in Germany). He sings a song that summarizes the events of the past year and extends good wishes for the year to come, accompanied by members of the Passion Play orchestra ( see also Oberammergau Passion Play).
New Year's pranks are common in Germany, such as chocolates with mustard inside, sugar lumps with spiders inside, and firework dogs that produce a string of black, sausage-like material when burned. Among young people, "lead-pouring" parties are popular. They drop a little melted lead into a bowl of cold water and read each other's fortunes by interpreting the shapes the metal assumes.

SOURCES:
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 282
FestWestEur-1958, p. 84
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 774

Celebration day: Dec 31

Celebrated in: Germany

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New Year's Eve (Spain)

December 31

In Spain, it is customary for families to gather on New Year's Eve in small groups to celebrate the coming of the New Year. Shortly before midnight, bags or bunches of grapes are distributed. When midnight arrives, everyone eats one grape for each stroke of the clock. Eating all 12 grapes before the clock is finished striking ensures good luck in the New Year. The grapes are usually washed down with muscatel wine. So firmly entrenched is the grape-eating custom that in theaters and cinemas, the show is often interrupted at midnight on New Year's Eve so that the audience can eat the grapes and drink the wine they've brought with them.
New Year's Day is spent visiting family and friends, feasting, and exchanging cards and gifts. Eating and drinking well on this day is believed to guarantee an abundance of food and drink in the coming year.

SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 297
DictFolkMyth-1984, p. 1063
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 733
FestWestEur-1958, p. 188
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 6

Celebration day: Dec 31

Celebrated in: Spain