New Year's Eve celebrations

Eating 12 grapes in Spain

For a long time, Spanish people have had a custom of celebrating New Year's Eve. On the last day of the year, December 31, they wait until 12.00 am. Everybody has 12 grapes, ready to eat when the clock starts to chime. It is traditional to eat them as one hears the clock chiming from Puerta del Sol in Madrid.

When it is midnight, each time the clock chimes, they put a grape in their mouth. By the time the clock has finished chiming, everybody would have finished their grapes and the New Year starts, but nobody ever finishes eating the grapes on time.

This tradition started in Spain because one year when there was a big grape harvest, the King of Spain decided to give grapes to everybody to eat on New Year's Eve.

Paper cutting in China

If you were in China on New Year's Day, you would see many kinds of paper cuttings on every family's windows. Paper cuttings are one of the most popular forms of folk art in China. They are properly framed or simply pasted on to the windows.

Traditionally, they were only made of red paper. Most elderly women would make them with just a piece of red paper and a pair of scissors. They made them for their own families for the Chinese New Year.

The Chinese believed that these paper cuttings can scare away evil spirits, so they can't get into houses through the windows. The cuttings were also supposed to bring luck for the New Year.

Making rice cakes in Japan

Making rice cakes (Mochi) at New Year is a Japanese tradition that is frequently carried out. Glutinous rice becomes mochi after it is steamed and pounded with a Kine and Usu.

First steamed rice is placed into a wooden pestle. Next, it is Dad's turn. Dad grabs the Kine which is made of wood and shaped like a big hammer. This is a good opportunity to show off his authority because the Kine is heavy and smashing rice with it is hard work.

Eating Ttok-Kuk in Korea

Koreans also celebrate this day, and a popular custom is to eat 'Ttok-Kuk'.

'Tekgut' is made from rice cake. When people eat 'Tekgut', it means that they are one year older. So, some people make jokes like, "I don't want to eat 'Tekgut' because I don't want to get older."