Whether it’s the pop of champagne or the hum of prayers, every culture welcomes the New Year in its own beautiful way. 

The New Year usually celebrated in September or early October, according to the Jewish tradition, to April, when many South and Southeast Asian cultures mark the New Year according to their lunar or solar calendars. And the celebrations are as diverse as the dates. 

In my culture, we eat twelve grapes while making twelve wishes (you can repeat wishes for extra mojo; I do that). Each tradition reveals a great deal about our rich cultural heritage and what drives the human spirit. 

Keep reading to learn more from our experts. 

Singapore Celebrates Two New Years Together

In Singapore, you actually get two New Years. First, fireworks over Marina Bay, then a few weeks later, Chinese New Year takes over with lion dances and red stuff everywhere. It’s not about which is better, but how everyone just comes together. If you’re here for the holidays, just drop by a neighborhood party, that’s where the real action is.

Alvin Poh, Chairman, CLDY.com Pte Ltd

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Traditions Help Immigrants Feel at Home

As an immigration attorney, I see how New Year traditions help people feel at home. We made simple bilingual handouts explaining things, like why some families burn an effigy to leave the past year behind. When a client says, “My family does that too,” that’s the moment. It helps them share a piece of their culture as they build a new life.

Ramiro Lluis, Managing Attorney, Lluis Law

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Students Connect Through Cultural New Year Lessons

I’ve lived in both Germany and Hong Kong, so I got to see these different New Year traditions. In Germany, people drink punch and just relax and talk. In Hong Kong, red decorations and huge family dinners are all about wishing for prosperity. When I brought these into my language classes, students got really into it. They remembered the lessons because they connected to their own lives.

Sandro Kratz, Founder, Tutorbase

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New Year Traditions Reflect Cultural Values Worldwide

I work with travelers from all corners of the world, and I have learned that traditions for ringing in the new year tend to mirror a culture’s expectations for what the year ahead might bring. In Japan, families begin with oshogatsu, which is built around purification rituals and temple visits in search of good luck. Armenia, my place of birth, places heavy emphasis on hospitality — the tables are full to the brim, doors remain ajar, and sharing food is not only more than enough but also expresses an abundance so that no one goes hungry or lacks community for the year ahead.

In Latin American countries, I’ve seen travelers mention “12 grapes at midnight” for prosperity month by month. In Greece, people smash a pomegranate at the door both for luck and fertility. Even the U.S. celebration — fireworks, countdowns, resolutions — represents renewal and faith in second chances. In any country, however, these rituals show how universal the impulse is to make a new start, invite luck, and keep hold of tradition.

Arsen Misakyan, CEO and Founder, LAXcar

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Symbolism Links Culture and Language Learning

Teaching in Hong Kong and Spain, I saw how New Year traditions are all about symbolism. Hong Kong uses red for prosperity, Spain eats 12 grapes for luck. So in my language classes, we don’t just memorize words. We use these traditions to show how culture and language are actually connected, helping students grasp more than just vocabulary.

Carmen Jordan Fernandez, Academic Director, The Spanish Council of Singapore

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Grandmother Preserved Russian Traditions Through Ritual

My grandmother, Lydia, was a remarkable woman. When she was 11 years old, she lived on a steamship for 18 months, fleeing Russia as the Civil War took place in 1920. After surviving many challenges and uncertainty, she not only gained resilience and unshakeable courage, but also a sense of self-identity deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of her homeland. She lovingly passed these traditions down to her children and her grandchildren, including me.

Evidence of these traditions adorned her house with icons, photographs of loved ones left behind in Russia, and a shiny copper samovar. As a child, our family would travel to her immaculate two-story house in upstate New York, and we would celebrate Christmas and New Year’s surrounded by reminders of our ancestors and what they endured to make it possible for us to be here today. 

Before every trip, including our annual winter holiday treks to my grandmother’s house, we would carry out a common Russian pre-travel ritual called prisyest na dorozhku. Before leaving, we would sit down at our kitchen table, relax, and share a moment of silence. We each recited the Lord’s Prayer in our heads and asked for protection during our travels. Lasting only a minute or two, we did this without fail, as my mother insisted, we continue this family custom. I often think about how my grandmother and her parents likely practiced this same ritual before their 18-month odyssey on the steamship in 1920.

My grandmother’s house was always filled with many friends and family during our holiday celebrations, many of whom were also from Russia. Laughter and words spoken in the Russian language were plentiful. Although I was not fluent, I recognized many words and felt as though I understood, but not quite. Still, the language was always present at our celebrations.

Selodka, or herring, a typical Russian delicacy, was always prepared by Lydia and enjoyed by everyone, inevitably paired with a shot of Russian vodka! I did not partake in the herring or the vodka, but was intrigued by the tradition and how much the adults savored the experience. As an adult, I tried both, hoping to understand the appeal and perhaps to feel more connected to my Eastern European roots. My grandmother took great pride in preparing it for her guests. She passed this precious recipe to my mother when she was an adult, and I included it in the appendices of my book I wrote and released called Last Ship to Freedom.

Tamara Buzyna Adams, Author, Genealogist, Photographer, Graphic Designer., Tamara Buzyna Adams

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Themed Parties Unite Diverse Workplace Teams

Our team comes from different places, so we looked at how everyone celebrates New Year. Germans gather for punch and casual talks, while in Hong Kong people share dim sum for good luck. We argued a bit about how to bring everyone together, but decided to try themed parties. It worked. People actually show up now and seem more comfortable with each other.

David Cornado, Partner, French Teachers Association of Hong Kong

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Shared Traditions Create Connections at Gatherings

Leading cultural associations has shown me how New Year celebrations reveal what people value. At our German Cultural Association, we mix traditional fireworks with local Hong Kong festivities. Many cultures focus on fresh starts, but differently. Asians might exchange wishes for good luck, while Europeans just gather for a family dinner. If you want people to connect, have them share their own traditions at a party. It’s the fastest way to hear someone’s story and it changes the whole atmosphere.

Yoan Amselem, Managing Director, German Cultural Association of Hong Kong

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Rosh Hashanah Emphasizes Reflection and Renewal

The Jewish calendar year begins in the fall, not the winter, with Rosh Hashanah. This holiday commemorates the beginning of the world and marks the beginning of a weeklong period of introspection. In the hopes of good fortune, families eat apple slices dipped in honey. A shofar, which is made from sheep, is sounded during prayers to promote self-awareness and candid reflection.

White is worn because it represents a fresh start. Some people eat pomegranates because their seeds, which number about 613, correspond to the number of religious regulations, suggesting that they will perform better. They use round challah, which resembles the cycle of time, in place of braided loaves. This celebration is fundamentally about reflecting on the past, accepting responsibility for mistakes, and trying again.

Phoebe Mendez, Marketing Manager, Morse Code Translator

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