Indian Express, India
Jan 1 2005

Some interesting traditions to ring in the New Year

Express Features Service

New Delhi, December 31: The Chinese New Year “Yuan Tan” takes place
between January 21 and February 20. The Chinese clean their houses to
rid them of lasts year’s bad luck before the celebrations begin.
There are street parades where dancing dragons and lions weave their
way through crowded streets.

Hungarians burn effigies on New Year’s eve known as “Jack Straw”
which represent the evils and misfortunes of the past year. Jack
Straw is carried around the village before being burnt.

For the Armenians, the most important pastries partaken on this day
is the Darin – a big flat bread, that has a coin hidden in it. The
person who finds the piece with the coin is considered lucky for the
New Year.

In England crowds of people gather in Trafalgar square, and
Piccadilly Circus to hear the chimes of London’s Big Ben announce the
arrival of the New Year. They stand around with arms linked to sing
Auld Lang Syne.

In Germany people would drop molten lead into cold water and try to
tell the future from the shape it made. A heart or ring shape meant a
wedding, a ship a journey, and a pig plenty of food in the year
ahead.