As the clock strikes midnight on December 31, millions of people around the world welcome the New Year with fireworks, champagne and kisses.
But while some traditions feel familiar, others are downright bizarre.
From smashing plates to eating grapes at lightning speed, here are the five weirdest New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world that prove humans celebrate fresh starts in wonderfully strange ways.
1. Smashing plates for good luck – Denmark
In Denmark, New Year’s Eve isn’t complete without a little controlled destruction.
Locals save old plates throughout the year and then hurl them at the front doors of friends and family just before midnight.
The bigger the pile of smashed crockery on your doorstep, the more popular — and lucky — you’re supposed to be in the year ahead.
Forget fireworks - broken porcelain is the real celebration.
2. Eating 12 grapes at midnight – Spain
Spaniards ring in the New Year by racing against the clock — literally.
As midnight strikes, people attempt to eat 12 grapes, one with each chime of the clock.
Each grape represents a month of good fortune in the coming year.
Miss a grape or choke under pressure, and superstition says luck may not be on your side.
It’s festive, frantic, and surprisingly stressful.
3. Wearing red underwear – Italy
In Italy, what you wear beneath your clothes matters more than your outfit.
Red underwear is believed to bring love, passion, and prosperity in the New Year.
The tradition dates back to ancient Roman times when red symbolized power and fertility.
Just make sure the underwear is brand new — otherwise, the magic supposedly doesn’t work.
4. Burning 'Mr Old Year' - Ecuador
Ecuadorians say goodbye to the past by literally setting it on fire.
People create life-sized effigies known as 'Año Viejo' (Old Year), often designed to look like unpopular politicians, celebrities, or fictional villains.
At midnight, the effigies are burned to cleanse bad energy and make room for a fresh start.
Dramatic? Absolutely.
Satisfying? Also yes.
5. Throwing furniture out of the window – South Africa
In parts of Johannesburg, New Year’s Eve can be dangerous — not because of fireworks, but flying furniture.
Some residents throw old appliances and furniture out of windows to symbolize discarding the past year’s problems.
While authorities strongly discourage the practice today, it remains one of the most extreme New Year’s traditions on the planet.
Whether weird, wild, or slightly dangerous, these New Year’s Eve traditions all share one goal - leaving the old behind and welcoming new beginnings.
Honestly, smashing plates or setting fire to an effigy might just beat another boring countdown.