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About This Quiz
There is something about ringing in the new year that gets people excited. It's almost as though people believe that within 10 seconds, a new day comes along and changes us completely. While it may seem childish, this is how society has been celebrating the holiday for generations — using traditions to help us show that you can change with the chiming of a clock or the dropping of a ball.
If you love the fact that New Year's Eve is your last hooray for the year and ringing in the new year means you get a whole new chance to change and grow, you probably love the traditions that come along with the holiday. From cracking open the bubbly to kissing your love as soon as the clock strikes midnight, you probably have it all down, but do you know where these traditions come from? Do you know why they're traditions? If not, you can always take an educated guess.
Take this quiz to show off your New Year's know-how, and see if you can teach us a thing or two about confetti and singing "Auld Lang Syne" (if you know the words) every year at the exact same time.
Times Square
Though New Year's Eve celebrations have been happening in Times Square since 1904, the first ball drop was in 1907. People in New York might have gotten this one, but those of us who watch it on TV may have had to guess.
Central Park
The Danville Building
Rockefeller Center
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New Year's resolutions
People often make resolutions before the new year to help them stick to their goals. When the year changes over, it seems as though a new timer starts and things change for everyone. This is why resolutions are so popular.
New Year's wishes
New Year's chanting
New Year's dialog
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15
12
Each grape represents one month of the year. Although the tradition now is about prosperity and luck throughout each month of the year, it was originally started to ward away dark magic and evil witches.
9
6
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10 minutes
5 hours
10 seconds
Ten minutes is a lot of counting, but 10 seconds is a great way to show your excitement that the year is changing without tiring yourself out. Not only is this countdown fun, but it's a great way to get rid of the old and welcome the new.
5 minutes
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"Old Framed Signs"
"Alderane Mein"
"Cold Rain Sign"
"Auld Lang Syne"
"Auld Lang Syne" has roots in Scottish traditions. The literal translation of the song title is "old long since," which basically means "old times" or "back in the day." The song is about old friends.
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Champagne
Champagne is considered a celebratory drink. Popping a cork adds to the loud sounds that come with ringing in the new year and bringing new adventures to your life. Drinking a little bubbly gives you the chance to wash away the past year and lift your spirits for the new year.
Wine
Beer
Water
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To let the year know we're here
To ward off evil spirits
The tradition of making a lot of noise when the new year comes in dates back hundreds of years. It was believed that if you brought in the new year by creating a lot of noise, ringing bells and lighting fireworks, you would be free from evil spirits. These days, it's a way to make good luck.
To let our neighbors know we are awake
To wake everyone up
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A glass
Your lover's hand
Money
Holding money in your hand when the clock strikes midnight is meant to ensure that you have money in your hand throughout the year. It is thought that whatever is in your hand on the first second of the year will be in your hand throughout the year.
Your first wish written on paper
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For good luck
For love and happiness
To say goodbye to last year's kisses
You hope to keep kissing them throughout the year.
The longstanding tradition of kissing the one you love when the clock strikes midnight is meant to show that you will continue kissing that person throughout the year. This is a way to give good fortune to your relationship for another 12 months.
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Chains
Dishes
That's right, in Denmark, it is customary to break old plates and dishes on your friends', neighbor's and family's doors when the new year comes in. It's done affectionately, apparently.
Lightbulbs
Eyeglasses
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Concerts
Billboard lightings
Fireworks displays
The fireworks displays on the Las Vegas Strip are some of the most intense that people see all year. That is why hundreds of thousands of people flock to the Strip to ring in the new year.
Parades
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It wards away evil.
They don't believe this.
It helps bring money.
It brings good luck.
While one might think that smiling would bring happiness, the Japanese believe that smiling into the new year is a way to bring you and your family good luck. For this reason, New Year's festivities include a lot of things to smile at.
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The Rose Bowl
Every year on January 1st, the Rose Bowl comes on. It is a college football (American) game that is played in Pasadena, California. If New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the Rose Bowl takes place the following Monday.
The Fiesta Bowl
The Super Bowl
The Big Bowl
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Fried clams
Hoppin' Johns
As a way to bring good luck, American Southerners will usually eat a plate of pork, black-eyed peas and rice. This dish is known as Hoppin' Johns. This dish is traced all the way back to the slave trade from West Africa.
Hot browns
Short ribs
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You definitely should eat chicken on the first day of the year!
It has an enzyme that changes your DNA.
It'll "fowl" up your year.
Many cultures believe that eating chicken on the first day of the year will bring bad luck and a big mess for you to clean up. While there is no scientific evidence to support this, the superstition has been around for a long time.
It shows that you don't care about ghosts.
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Yellow
Orange
Purple
Red
Wearing red underwear as the new year comes in is an excellent way to ensure that you are prosperous in the year to come. The Turks also run water and sprinkle salt on their doorsteps to welcome any money that comes along.
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Progress
Pork for progress on New Year's Day. It's always a good thing to eat pork on the first day of the year. Many cultures think that it helps you move forward, as pigs always look for food in a forward motion.
Procrastination
Sleepiness
Healthy eating
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Oranges
Pomegranate
Pomegranate has always been a sign of fertility, especially in Ancient Greece. These days, eating pomegranate on the eve of the new year is a way to gain fertility. In Greece, the pomegranate is smashed on the ground, so the seeds go everywhere, to show abundance.
Grapes
Peanut butter
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Sheet cake
Pancake
Bundt cake
In the Philippines, everything on New Year's must be round to show prosperity. However, having a round bundt cake is meant to bring a full circle of luck to anyone who eats it. No, you don't have to eat the whole cake to get the luck.
Potato cake
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Red herring
Rainbow trout
Pickled mollusk
Pickled herring
Pickled herring has a very specific silver color to it. It may not taste all that great, but if you eat the silvery fish, you are destined to have a bounty come your way in the upcoming year.
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Luck and good wishes
This bread is made in usually made in every household in Armenia. Although one could argue that luck and good wishes are kneaded into every loaf of homemade bread, this loaf is special for Armenian New Year celebrations.
Raisins and cinnamon
Happiness and love
Heart and soul
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A pepper
An onion
The onion symbolizes a rebirth in the coming year. It's the Greek way of saying "out with the old and in with the new," in a much nicer way ... even if it's a little stinkier than other traditions.
An olive
A brisket
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A mass high-five session
A pickled herring festival
A mass kissing session
That's right, if you're feeling a little lonely, head off to Venice this New Year's Eve and see if you can participate in the mass kissing session. The perfect thing to do during cold and flu season.
A tree-lighting festival
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Pieces of their houses
Dried flowers
Pomegranate
Christmas trees
One way to rid yourself of your Christmas tree every year is to burn it to the ground (outside, of course). In the Netherlands, these large bonfires are symbolic of getting rid of old stuff to make way for new stuff.
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Mistletoe
If a young woman hopes to find herself a husband in the coming year, she only needs to rest some mistletoe under her pillow the night before the new year begins. Who needs internet dating?
Lilac
Cinnamon
Basil
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Hope
Love
Red is the color of love. If you want love, decorate your house red. If you are looking for a job or work, you should decorate your house yellow. Of course, the color green represents money and prosperity.
Money
Work
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Cupcakes
Holly leaves
Suitcases
That's right; if you are hoping to travel in the following year, it is customary to carry around your suitcase in Colombia. This will ensure that you have a year filled with adventure, fun and travel.
Trays of food
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Dark blue
Sea green
Brown
Bright yellow
Bright yellow underwear looks a little bit like gold and having gold underwear on means that you will most likely be rich in the new year. It makes sense if you really think about it ... anyway, it's worth a try.
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The Polar Bear Swim
What is there to do if you're bored in Canada? Jump into freezing water and try not to die, of course. This tradition has been long withstanding, and it has been made into a fun event that people train for.
The Penguin Swim
The Iceberg Swim
The Cold Float
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The new man
The old man
Burning the old man in effigy is a Mexican tradition that symbolizes getting rid of the old year. In many cases, the old man is actually referred to as "the old year" to make the point a little clearer.
A politician
A witch
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Pomegranate
Chicken
Lentils
Lentils are small legumes that are shaped very much like coins. The disc shape symbolizes money, and eating them on New Year's Day is an excellent way to ensure that you get the prosperity you're looking for in the coming year.
Duck
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Make sure you eat fish
Make sure you have a coin in your hand
Make sure you clean your house
Make sure your cupboards are full
Having full cupboards on the first day of the year is a sign (in many cultures) that your cupboards won't go bare throughout the year. Even if you're a minimalist, it's important to stock up before the year begins.
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Taking things out of your home
Some superstitious people believe that if you take anything out of your home on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, you will end up losing things throughout the year. For this reason, you should avoid taking out the garbage until January 2.
Inviting people into your home
Leaving your home
Cleaning your home
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You'll have a year of anger.
You'll have a year of sadness.
The holidays can be tough, but you have to tough it out over the new year. If you don't, you could find yourself facing an entire year of sadness, according to some superstitions, so smile and enjoy the good times.
You'll have a year of losing friends.
You'll have a year of breakups.
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Play loud music
Clean every corner of it
Open all the doors and windows
A good way to let your house breathe is to open all of the doors and windows. According to some New Year's traditions, it will also help you get rid of all of the bad luck you had the previous year. Of course, it can also make your heating bill skyrocket.
Sing in the halls
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