“A New Year that is coming and another that is going away” with this phrase Dominicans identify themselves as the end of the year approaches, with the custom of celebrating it at the station winterending the month of December.
To the sound of music, food, drinks and new clothes, Dominican families gather to wait for the New Year.
His arrival is announced with “El Cañonazo” from the avenue of the port of Santo Domingo, National District, and different parts of the country, Dominicans immediately leave their homes to congratulate their neighbors.
In the same way, on December 1 it is a tradition for many to celebrate on the beach, watch the sunrise and bathe to attract good luck (leave the bad behind, “dispossession”).
On the other hand, there are other countries that celebrate the old year and the New Year in different dates and ways. An example of this is in the East and the Caribbean shows you two of these traditions.
new year in china
One of the best known cultures is China. This country has its own calendar, the Lunisolar, which marks the beginning of a New Year, in the spring season.
According to a study center From Chinese culture, the Chinese Lunar calendar is a dating system that is based on the monthly cycle of the phases of the moon.
Likewise, more than a billion people celebrate this holiday in countries around the world, such as Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States.
In 2023, the festivities begin on Sunday, January 22, and continue for several days. At the end they close with their renowned “Lantern Festival” on February 5.
In their traditions and the way they celebrate it are the gift of the red envelope between the family, wearing new clothes to protect themselves from bad luck. In the same way, one of the predominant characteristics is the red color, everywhere; through its streets and houses.
They hold the New Year’s Eve dinner, where many of its migrant citizens travel to the country to be with their family.
At their tables, the dishes are varied, such as New Year’s cake, dumplings, fruits, among other foods.
Norouz New Year in spring
Norouz means “new day”, and it is a holiday that celebrates the New Year, and the arrival of spring, which heralds the rebirth of nature.
Norouz has been celebrated in Iran and in the Persian diaspora.
Preparations for Norouz start weeks in advance.
Unesco explains that in Iran, the heart of ancient Persia, preparations begin two or three weeks before the New Year:
- The women begin to “shake” the houses, that is, to do a very thorough cleaning.
- On the Tuesday before the celebration, the men organize games that consist of jumping over bonfires.
- As for the children, gathered in small groups, they put on masks and knock on all the doors, behind which cakes and some coins await them.
When the New Year arrives, it is announced to the rhythm of the drum.
Family food is also prepared where fish and rice predominate, but the central part of the table is sabzeh (wheat sprouts, barley, lentils and other cereals).
Another of their traditions is that women sow seeds in plates inside the houses at the beginning of the celebrations and then water them constantly so that they germinate on Norouz Day.
In 2009, the Unesco declared the festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, where since 2010 an International Day has been dedicated to it, on March 21.
