Tag Archives: new years

Entertainment

Unusual New Year’s Eve Traditions Across the Globe

Even within the USA there multiple cultural traditions for celebrating the transition into the new

Although we are accustomed to a homogeneous celebration across the USA on New Year’s Eve, there are also many variations, both here, mainly as observed by immigrants, and across the globe.

We also have a special upcoming article for Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, since it is celebrated according to traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, but many examples from the western Gregorian solar calendar observance can be seen here.

Within the US not everyone celebrates the same way

There are many ethnic and cultural traditions for celebrating New Year’s Eve that have been brought to the United States by immigrants from various countries around the world.

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Hogmanay: Hogmanay is a traditional Scottish New Year’s Eve celebration that includes singing, dancing, and the exchange of gifts. Many people in the U.S. of Scottish descent or with an interest in Scottish culture celebrate Hogmanay.

Nochevieja: Nochevieja, or New Year’s Eve, is a popular holiday in many Spanish-speaking countries. In the U.S., people of Hispanic descent may celebrate Nochevieja with parties, music, dancing, and the consumption of traditional foods and drinks.

Sylwester: Sylwester is a traditional New Year’s Eve celebration in Poland. In the U.S., people of Polish descent may celebrate Sylwester with parties, music, and the consumption of traditional foods such as kielbasa and pierogi.

Hog Sooie: Hog Sooie is a traditional New Year’s Eve celebration in Vietnam. In the U.S., people of Vietnamese descent may celebrate Hog Sooie with parties, music, and the consumption of traditional foods such as banh chung and banh tet.

Yalda Night: Yalda Night is a traditional New Year’s Eve celebration in Iran. In the U.S., people of Iranian descent may celebrate Yalda Night with parties, music, and the consumption of traditional foods such as watermelon and pomegranate.

Outside the US celebrations, and particularly food and drink styles vary

New Year’s Eve, or “Sylvester” as it is known in some parts of the world, is a time of celebration and reflection as people bid farewell to the old year and welcome in the new. While the exact traditions and customs vary from culture to culture and country to country, there are a few common themes that emerge.

In the United States, it is common for people to gather with friends and family to watch the ball drop in Times Square on television. This tradition has been taking place since 1907, and has become a widely recognized symbol of the new year. Many people also make resolutions, or promises to themselves to make positive changes in the coming year.

In Spain, it is customary to eat a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the bell at midnight, symbolizing good luck for each month of the new year. In many Latin American countries, people dress in white on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year.

In Japan, people celebrate the new year by visiting temples and shrines to pray for good fortune. They also eat a special meal called “toshikoshi soba,” which consists of thin noodles that symbolize a long and healthy life.

In the United Kingdom, it is traditional for people to make noise at midnight by ringing bells or blowing horns to chase away evil spirits and bring in good luck. Some people also make a “New Year’s Resolution” to try and improve their lives in the coming year.

In many parts of Europe, it is traditional to eat certain foods on New Year’s Eve that are believed to bring good luck.

In Germany, people eat pork and sauerkraut, while in Italy it is common to eat lentils. In the Netherlands, people eat doughnuts filled with jam or cream, and in France, people often eat a special cake called a “galette des rois,” which is made with a hidden bean or trinket inside.

In what has become a modern tradition, Times Square in NYC is where it’s at on December 31st

In the United States, New Year’s Eve is often celebrated with parties, fireworks, and other festive events locally and en masse via TV and the media.

Common local traditions for celebrating New Year’s Eve in the U.S. include:

Attending a New Year’s Eve party: Many people in the U.S. celebrate New Year’s Eve by attending a party or gathering with friends and family. These events often include music, dancing, and food and drinks.

Watching the Times Square ball drop: In New York City, the Times Square ball drop is a well-known New Year’s Eve tradition. At midnight, a large ball descends from a flagpole atop One Times Square, signaling the start of the new year. Many people gather in Times Square to watch the ball drop in person, while others watch the event on television.

Fireworks displays: Fireworks displays are a popular way to celebrate New Year’s Eve in many parts of the U.S. Many cities and towns hold public fireworks displays, and some people choose to set off fireworks on their own.

Making New Year’s resolutions: Many people in the U.S. make New Year’s resolutions, or promises to themselves to make positive changes in the new year. Some common resolutions include losing weight, exercising more, or saving money.

Playing games and engaging in other activities: Some people choose to spend New Year’s Eve playing games or engaging in other activities with friends and family. These might include board games, card games, or outdoor activities like ice skating or sledding.

Overall, New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration and reflection, and while the specific traditions may vary from place to place, the underlying theme of hope and good fortune for the new year is universal. Happy New Year from all of us at Lynxotic.

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Breaking News, Observation, Politics

Georgia Election: Biden says if Warnock and Ossoff are elected those 2000 checks will go out the door “immediately”

Without need for hyperbole, Biden emphasizes the importance of voting blue in Georgia to real world problems

As the minutes wind down until the critically important senate runoff elections in Georgia, President-elect Joe Biden said that, if the two Democratic senators are elected, Americans will receive $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks, and implied it could happen very soon:

‘By electing John and the Reverend, you can make an immediate difference in your own lives, the lives of people all across this country, because their election will put an end to the block in Washington of that $2,000 stimulus check, that money that will go out the door immediately to help people who are in real trouble.’

President-elect Joe Biden

What he is referring to, of course, is that fact that while congress passed the higher dollar amount for the stimulus checks, once the bill got to the senate, currently controlled by the Republicans and  Mitch McConnell, the proposed increase was blocked and the previous bill was maintained reducing the checks back to the original $600 figure. 

This transpired, in spite of the fact that Trump, in his usual confused and chaotic style, pressured his own party, over whom he supposedly has absolute power, to vote for the higher amount, and therefore they were forced to defy him in order to block the passage of the higher amount. 

It is unclear if this was some kind of reckless ploy, perhaps an attempt by Trump to make himself seem like the “good guy”, and to force the senate to look bad in comparison, including, for example high profile senators that might, in the future, want to run against him, assuming he is even eligible to run. As has been seen lately (and for a long time before that) anything is possible regarding his motives.

What Biden is saying, though possibly a bit exaggerated regarding the timing, is nevertheless correct, that with a victory by both Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock the senate would be evenly split with 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. In that scenario, the vice president, who will be Kamala Harris once she and Biden are sworn-in, will be able to cast any tie-breaking vote as needed, giving the Democrats the narrowest of margins, but enough to push through the stimulus checks and, potentially, the first order of business for the new administration.

Later in the appearance President-elect Joe Biden reiterated:

[CHEERING]

“And that’s not an exaggeration. That is a literal– that’s literally true. If you send John and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door, restoring hope and decency and honor for so many people who are struggling right now. And if you send senators Perdue and Loeffler back to Washington, those checks will never get there. It’s just that simple. The power is literally in your hands.”

PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN
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