Some quirky, some fun…these customs will remind you how the festivals are all about feeling happy and positive. In Puerto Rico, locals do the parrandas where they go door to door singing to wake their unsuspecting friends. After a small party at each stop, the owner of the house joins the brigade too. In Ukraine, following a folklore, the residents decorate their trees with webs to welcome good luck in the New Year.
In Spain at midnight on New Year’s it’s a tradition to eat 12 grapes — one with each chime to ensure 12 months of happiness and luck ahead. In Morocco during Hanukkah, revellers indulge in orange or anise flavoured doughnuts. In Mongolia, the Buddhists celebrate the lunar New Year (Tsagan Sar) by snacking in ul boov, a tower made from Shoe-sole shaped cakes.
In Finland, small tin horseshoes are melted for fortune telling. The liquid tin is poured into a bucket of cold water where it freezes. The new shapes are interpreted to predict the coming year. In Philippines, round foods which symbolise coins are eaten. They usher in prosperity.
— Source: www.mentalfloss.com
