New Year Rituals

It’s an amazing thing when you really think about it.

The planet Earth spins on its axis in a counterclockwise fashion for 24 hours to make a day. It maintains this motion for 365¼ days to make a year. That is 21,906 hours that constitute a single year. While this is happening, the Moon completes its own revolution around the Earth, the other seven planets complete their revolutions around the Sun, and the Sun’s gravity keeps all these planetary bodies locked in their cosmic dance.

Even more astonishing is the fact that, thanks to a delicate balance of universal factors, Earth is the only known heavenly body that supports life. One factor off—a sunbeam misplaced, a tilt of the axis altered—and we simply would not exist. That alone is a solid argument for the existence of God.

Yet, at the end of all these precise revolutions, we humans—tiny residents on this spinning rock—decide to name this cycle a year. And when one ends, we perform rituals to usher in the beginning of another Earthly revolution around the Sun.

One of the most well-known rituals in this part of the world is the Crossover Service. Practiced mainly by Christians, it involves gathering in church to praise God for preservation through the year and for whatever achievements were recorded. Prayers are said for greater accomplishments in the new year, and some even pray about their vices, hoping that as the clock strikes 12, they will magically disappear. At midnight, the congregation erupts into shouts of “Happy New Year!” and jubilantly dances back home.

A lesser-known ritual is practiced by cinephiles. It involves starting a movie at a very specific time so that a particular line is spoken exactly at midnight. For example, starting Avengers: Infinity War at 9:48:54 pm ensures that Thanos snaps half the universe away right into the new year.

In Spain, there is the tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of good luck. In Denmark, people break plates to banish bad spirits—though this is strongly discouraged if you do not own the plates, as you may receive a slap to welcome the new year.

In Japan, bells are rung 108 times to cleanse the sins of the past year, allowing people to enter the new year with a clear conscience.

Then there is one of the most interesting traditions of all: kissing at midnight. Practiced in many parts of the world, it is believed to prevent loneliness and emotional misfortune in the coming year. Folklore suggests that avoiding this ritual leads to a loveless year—do with that information what you will. For couples, it is said to ensure romantic continuity.

In Russia and parts of Eastern Europe, sharing a midnight drink signifies trust and bonded fortune. Nordic cultures hold the belief that no one should be alone at midnight, lest loneliness follow them into the new year.

Others choose quieter rituals: forgiveness and reconciliation, calling loved ones who are far away, or simply expressing gratitude for survival.

And then there’s my personal favourite—sleeping into the new year, because the planet Earth will continue her rotation either way.

Olajide Olamide