By Patty Chung, Office Administrator
SHARE!’s students come from over 21 different countries and all have their own traditional way to celebrate the new year. Do you know that in Brazil, wearing white to ring in the new year welcomes peace and brings luck? In China, too, when they celebrate the lunar new year, wearing the color red attracts good luck and “lucky money” wrapped in red envelopes is given. Polka dot patterns on clothing represents blessings of prosperity in the Philippines and is worn at New Years.
Special foods are also part of the New Year celebrations. In Greece, pomegranates signify luck, prosperity and fertility and have a place in many new year traditions like smashing the fruit against the front door of the home. Grapes are eaten at midnight in Spain, Latin America and the Philippines to bring good luck. European countries eat lentils which represent prosperity. In Germany, marzipan pigs are given to friends and eating rice cake soup in Korea brings good fortune. Representing prosperity, dumplings abound in China during the new year. In Japan, eating buckwheat noodles symbolizes a wish for long life and herring fish roe is eaten to symbolize the hope of bearing many offspring.
Tell us what our student’s new year traditions are as we SHARE! ours. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Feliz ao nuevo (Spanish)! Gott Nytt r (Swedish)! Manigong Bagong Taon (Philippines)! Ein gluckliches neues Jahr (German)! Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu (Japanese)! Buon anno (Italian)! Sehe Bokmanee Bateuseyo (Korean)! Bonne anne (French)! Xin nian yu kuai (Chinese)!
