Around the World on New Year's
Ever wondered how the rest of the world celebrates their New Year’s Eve? What are their New Year’s traditions and beliefs? Well, I was curious so I did some research and boy am I amazed. Thought I should share it with you. Here goes:
In Spain, the Spaniards celebrate New Year’s Eve by eating grapes. They invite several friends over for a late dinner. Late meaning 9:00 in the evening at the earliest! A few minutes before 12:00 a.m., they bring out the dessert which consists of bunches of grapes. With each ring of the midnight bells, everyone eats one grape. This tradition which has been passed on for many generations is meant to carry with it some good luck for the New Year.
In Colombia, it is the custom to construct a dummy representing the closing year. Each family member donates some clothing that is no longer wor
n to make the dummy. They then stuff it using straw and firecrackers. Every participating member then takes a piece of paper and writes down a bit of bad luck or some fault that they would want to free themselves of. At 12:00 am on the button, the dummy is lit and left to burn until all that is left of it are ashes. The old year’s faults and bad luck is thought to disappear together with the dummy.
In Greece, it is a tradition to serve New Year's Bread at 12:00am on January 1. They place either a coin or a charm inside this special bread. At exactly midnight, the head of the family slices the bread and distributes it to each family member, in age order. The member who receives the piece of bread with the coin or charm is believed to be showered with good fortune throughout the New Year. ...continue reading
Top Ten New Year's Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions- It’s that time of year again. Some of the resolutions that you are thinking about for this year were on your list last year and the year before… and the one before that. The truth is that you very possibly even started following through on some of them. Every 12 months, you promise to start anew or to make a change or two. You’ll quit doing this and you’ll start doing that. You are not alone! It appears to be that the majority of the world is riding on the same boat.
Here are the top ten New Year’s Resolutions (not in any specific order) for you to think about:
1. Lose Weight : Unless you are 100% determined and make a promise to get fit, it will never happen. It’s your choice. Skip the elevator and head for the stairs, go for the fruit instead of the chocolate…etc.
2. Stick to a Budget: The best defense is a good offense. Sticking to a reasonable financial plan is a brilliant move as it avoids overspending and guarantees peace of mind. All beginnings are hard. The good news is that the longer you stick to a budget, the easier it becomes.
3. Get out of Debt: If you are unable to pay cold cash for it, you could do without it. Make it that effortless and you will find yourself debt-free in no time.
4. Make More Time for Family and Friends: It’s time to set your priorities straight. Start right now by taking day-to-day measures that will produce nothing less than an extra special family.
5. Find True Love: More and more people seem to be searching for that special someone who they will love forever. However, we don’t believe that that romantic relationship is anything more than a fairytale. That fairytale can become a reality. It is up to you to make it happen. ...continue reading