Pá Turn around! The new year always brings anxiety, expectations and desires, and this is where our new traditions begin.
The New Year celebration is ancient in many cultures. However, the meaning of New Year's Eve (as New Year is also called in Brazil) that unites all cultures is that this date represents a period of renewal, rebirth and transformation. The belief revolves around the idea that the passage from one date to another, specifically from December to January, therefore, the New Year, will lead us to a new cycle of life. This is the magic and wonder of the New Year.
The idea of this date is that we all enter a new cycle of life, renewing our hopes for the year that begins. This is why the New Year is so special, as it allows us to reflect and plan for a better future.
Old New Year traditions
The New Year celebration is ancient in many cultures. The Mayans, for example, considered the New Year as a means of establishing balance between heaven and earth, while the Greeks believed that the new year would bring prosperity and joy. The Romans spent New Year's Eve in distress, but there were those who believed that speaking happy words and drinking wine would help ward off evil spirits.
In the Middle Ages, people believed that throwing old things away to make room for new ones would bring prosperity and good luck. Some of these old customs are still practiced, such as throwing old things out of the window – the famous Pas-Turns – or eat specific foods like lentils, grapes or bananas.
Today's traditions in Brazil
Currently, in Brazil, New Year's Eve is widely celebrated because it is summer and most people are on vacation. We celebrate with shows and presentations, called “New Year’s Eve shows”, the beaches and squares are full, and families and friends hold large gatherings and dinners to celebrate the arrival of a new cycle. Many people also travel in the New Year, and the main destinations are beaches or hotels that have swimming pools.
Among the sympathies and traditions, essential when we talk about New Year's Eve, most practiced in our country are:
1. Clothes
It is very common to see people in white during the New Year, to attract peace for the coming year. However, something that many consider is wearing clothes in other colors, as each color represents something we want for our next year. Check out the meanings of each color below:
- White: peace (as previously mentioned)
- Yellow: money and prosperity
- Green: hope and health
- Pink: love
- Orange: energy and happiness
- Purple: creativity and spirituality
- Blue: harmony, serenity
- Gold: money
- Brown: stability
- Black: responsibility
- Grey: balance
2. Supper
What we eat is also part of New Year's sympathies: it is believed that a dish of lentils brings prosperity, and some even add to this practice eating without their feet on the ground. Consuming 7 pomegranate seeds is also a recurring act during New Year's Eve, as each seed represents a wish for the year ahead.
3. Jump 7 waves in the sea
Jumping 7 waves in the sea is what many people do when they want to attract prosperity. Each wave, similar to a pomegranate seed, represents an intention for the coming year.
Fun facts about the New Year
The New Year, in addition to being a moment of magic, is a moment that provides curiosities. Many countries around the world have unique events and traditions to mark the start of the new year. It is in Greece, for example, that every year a message of happiness is read from an air balloon there. In Norway, it's customary to set off fireworks, while in Finland, residents gather for an ice bike race.
South Africa has its own unique version of Pás Virginas: they are open-air dances, with people throwing dust at people passing by to bring good luck. In countries such as China, Israel, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, New Year is celebrated on another date, mainly due to the religion they follow.
Conclusion
The New Year is a great opportunity to reflect on the past and plan and establish metas for the future. It's the day we allow ourselves to look back and forward, to enjoy the present.
Whether it's a dance, an ice bike race, fireworks or saying a prayer, the New Year celebration is full of hope, good humor and magic. So, enjoy festa, the New Year to celebrate the best that the future has to offer. We wish everyone a happy New Year!
