Celebrate Green with green New Year's traditions from around the world
Nature
(including food), along with gestures of good will and generosity, plays an important
role in New Year's traditions around the world. It would be easy enough to
incorporate some of these interesting traditions into your own eco-friendly New
Year's celebrations.
In the Republic of Armenia, for instance, a traditional New Year's meal includes dried fruits, raisins and nuts as well as dolma (grape leaves stuffed with rice.) A sweet soup makes the meal special along with a bread, darin, kneaded with "luck and good wishes" pressed into the dough before it is cooked.
Belgian farmers are always sure to wish their animals a Happy New Year. You can guess why.
The lentil is believed to signify wealth, so in Brazil on January 1, they serve this nutritious legume alone or with rice.
Chinese New Year celebrations, (which, because the Chinese calendar is based on a combination of solar and lunar movements, is not celebrated on January 1) tend toward the spectacular and involve entire communities. But here's a little eco-secret about these events. Plants and flowers play a huge role because they are thought to bring good fortune for the New Year. Kumquat trees, peach blossoms and tangerines fly off store shelves as they are considered to be especially lucky.
For Greek families, New Year's is a significant holiday as it is thought to be day that St. Basil, a 4th century theologian important in the Greek Orthodox Church, died. His kindness and generosity to the poor is honored on this day, particularly by making and serving the St. Basil's cake which has hidden within, the gift of a coin. In addition, honey, olive-branches, nuts, fresh fruit and other symbols of happiness and wealth decorate the table.
Greeks also celebrate a New Year on September 1, the start of the sowing season. In many places throughout the country, people make wreaths of natural materials including grapes, garlic, pomegranates and nuts. In one town, last year's wreaths are tossed into the sea and this year's immersed in the water for good luck. In another city, wreaths include bags full of grain. The New Year's seeding begins only when the wreath, bursting with the glory of the last harvest, has been hung.
The Japanese incorporate ropes made of straw, hung across doorways to signify happiness and good luck. Paper lobsters may be used to decorate homes at the New Year because the lobster's back curves like that of an old person, denoting longevity.
Spain's tradition of eating one grape with every toll of the midnight hour to bring good luck over the next year has spread to a number of South and Central American countries. This custom would be simple to emulate and is sure to bring lots of laughter as everyone tries to finish a dozen grapes by the time the last bell rings.
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