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On the eve of the New Year, there is a big preparation in every family in Georgia. The main element of this holiday in our country is a table full of traditional food. Gozinaki is a sweet that can be found in every home on New Year’s day. Georgians love this sweet made with honey and nuts. The dish that is prepared in almost every family in Georgia on New Year’s Day is Sacivi. Sometimes they cook so much that they eat it for a whole month.
The second day of the New Year is the “Bedoba”. According to the tradition, it’s important how you spend your day because the whole year will be the same as this day. That’s why Georgians try to be happy on this day, have joy and bring a little luck into their lives.
New Year in China
Chinese New Year is a special holiday. It starts on the first new moon of the Chinese calendar between January 21 and February 19. The Chinese believe that it is very important to have a clean house on New Year’s Day. Chinese people don’t sweep the floor, as they think they will sweep away good luck in the process.
My teacher is Chinese. She taught me a lot about the culture and traditions of her country. Every New Year she receives red envelopes from China. There is money in the envelopes. Elderly Chinese give such envelopes to children and unmarried people at New Year. Chinese use traditional art to decorate their homes and streets for the New Year.
New Year in Brazil
Brazilians, like other people, celebrate the New Year in their own way. They wear white clothes on New Year’s Eve to symbolize peace and the hope that the coming year will be better than the one just ending. At midnight Brazilians run to the sea-shore and jump seven times while making wishes and throwing flowers into the ocean.
In Brazil, people must wear colored underwear on New Year’s. Brazilians choose the color carefully, because they all have different meanings.
white = peace and harmony
blue = tranquility and friendship
yellow = money and luck
pink = love
orange = professional success
Green = health
purple = inspiration
Of course, all countries have different ways and times to celebrate the New Year. I want to say a lot more about New Year’s traditions, but unfortunately I can’t. One thing I am sure of is that no matter how people celebrate the New Year, the main thing is that they meet it full of joy and hope.
Author: Ketevan Chargazia
