Red underwear, twelve grapes, smashed plates: around the globe, the turn of the year is celebrated with the most unusual rituals imaginable. We're taking you on a trip through the best New Year's Eve traditions around the world — from Spain to Japan — and showing you how to bring a bit of that into your own party.
What is a New Year's Eve tradition? A New Year's Eve tradition is a ritual or custom people use to mark the passage into the new year. Many are meant to bring luck, health or prosperity — from the midnight toast to lucky charms to regional quirks. Almost every culture has its own New Year's Eve traditions, many of them centuries old. Some stay local, others have spread across borders and are now copied worldwide.
💡 By the way: that's exactly why we built the ski boot shot glass set — the glass shaped like a ski boot with a clip-in binding. More on that below ↓
Spain's New Year's Eve traditions: red underwear & 12 grapes
Hardly any country celebrates the turn of the year with as much charm as Spain. Two traditions in particular are firmly rooted here and deliver good spirits — and a bit of a thrill — every year.
Red underwear on New Year's Eve for good luck
In Spain, people wear red underwear on New Year's Eve to bring luck and success into the new year. It's said to work best if someone gives it to you as a gift. No wonder red underwear flies off the shelves across the country in the days before New Year's Eve.
The 12 grapes at midnight
Spain's best-known New Year's Eve tradition is the "doce uvas de la suerte": with each of the twelve chimes of the clock at midnight, you eat one grape — one for every month of the new year. Anyone who manages all twelve in time is said to be in for a lucky year. It takes skill, a wide-open mouth, and it's guaranteed to get a laugh.
Celebrating in the streets and squares
New Year's Eve in Spain is a street party. Squares like Puerta del Sol in Madrid fill up with people eating grapes together, dancing and toasting. The whole nation comes together to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new one. Unlike the often private German New Year's Eve, it's a distinctly public celebration in Spain — people start with a late dinner with family and then head out together to the squares and bars, where dancing continues until morning.
A small change with a big effect: swap the standard glasses for the ski boot shot glasses with binding and you've already served up the first conversation starter.
New Year's Eve traditions from around the world
Spain is far from alone with its rituals. A look around the globe shows just how creatively people celebrate the turn of the year:
- Italy: Red underwear here too, plus lentils as a symbol of prosperity — the more you eat, the more money you're said to make in the new year.
- Denmark: People smash old crockery against friends' front doors. A big pile of broken shards in the morning is seen as a sign of many good friends.
- Japan: On New Year's night, temple bells ring 108 times to drive away human vices. Long buckwheat noodles are served for a long life.
- Scotland: During "first footing", the first guest after midnight brings gifts like coal or whisky — meant to bring luck to the house.
- USA: In New York, the famous illuminated ball drops over Times Square for the countdown while millions count along.
- Brazil: People dress in white for peace and jump over seven waves on the beach while making a wish.
Where does the name "Silvester" come from?
The fact that the last day of the year is called "Silvester" in German-speaking countries has a religious origin: Pope Sylvester I died on 31 December 335, and his feast day falls exactly on that date. When Pope Gregory XIII introduced today's calendar in 1582 and fixed the turn of the year firmly to 31 December, the saint's feast day became permanently linked to New Year's night. In German-speaking countries, in the Netherlands and in parts of Eastern Europe, "Silvester" is still the everyday name for New Year's Eve.
Lucky charms for the new year
Alongside the big rituals, there are small lucky charms people give each other at the turn of the year. Especially popular are the lucky pig (often made of marzipan), the chimney sweep figure, the four-leaf clover and the horseshoe. They're all meant to bring prosperity and luck into the new year — a charming tradition that also makes a lovely little party favour.
Modern New Year's Eve traditions: from theme parties to social media
Traditions live by changing. New customs have long since joined the old ones: theme parties from masked to futuristic, ever more elaborate fireworks, and reinvented festive dishes. In many countries, the turn of the year is now just as much a creative event as a traditional ritual.
Social media has changed New Year's Eve too. People share their experiences in real time — the red socks, the toast, the grapes at midnight. That's how traditions travel across borders, and a Spanish grape trick can suddenly turn up on a living room table on the other side of the world.
The glasses are dishwasher-safe and have their own real glass shape — the set with binding outlasts any plastic cup by a long way.
New Year's Eve traditions for your own party
The great thing about New Year's Eve traditions: you can pick the best bits from anywhere in the world. Set out twelve grapes for your guests, hand out red lucky accessories, or plan a small lucky-charm moment around midnight. Rituals like these give the evening structure and a real highlight. One tip: announce the traditions beforehand and briefly explain what they mean — that turns individual guests into a group counting down to midnight together.
One international tradition that always works: the shared toast. With the ski boot glasses from Apres Allstars, toasting the new year becomes an eye-catcher — original, on theme and a perfect conversation starter. For the rest of the evening's programme, check our guide to New Year's Eve party highlights, and to see how New Year's Eve is celebrated in Germany, read up on New Year's Eve traditions in Germany.
Sharing a drink from a SwigSki at our … – @apresallstars
And if you want to add some games to the evening, our New Year's Eve drinking games are full of ideas for the group.
Frequently asked questions about New Year's Eve traditions
Why do people wear red underwear on New Year's Eve in Spain?
Red underwear is said to bring luck and success into the new year in Spain. It's meant to work best if someone gives it to you as a gift. The tradition is so popular that red underwear is sold everywhere in the country before New Year's Eve.
What do the 12 grapes mean on New Year's Eve?
In Spain's "doce uvas de la suerte", you eat one grape with each of the twelve chimes of the clock at midnight. Each one stands for a month of the new year. Anyone who manages all twelve in time is said to be in for a lucky year.
What New Year's Eve traditions exist around the world?
The range is huge: in Italy there are lentils for prosperity, in Denmark people smash crockery against friends' front doors, in Japan temple bells ring 108 times, in Scotland the first guest is said to bring luck, and in New York the illuminated ball drops over Times Square.
Where does the New Year's Eve toast tradition come from?
Toasting together at midnight is one of the oldest and most widespread New Year's Eve traditions in the world. It stands symbolically for community, good wishes and an optimistic start to the new year — a ritual that has a place in almost every culture.
How can I celebrate international New Year's Eve traditions at home?
It's simple: set out twelve grapes for the midnight countdown, hand out red lucky accessories, cook Italian lentils, or plan a shared toast with some special glasses. That gives your party an international twist and a proper highlight — a nice touch for NYE.
Why do people celebrate New Year's Eve at all?
New Year's Eve marks the last day of the year and the passage into the new one. It's a celebration of saying goodbye to the old and hoping for a good fresh start. The many traditions help people mark this moment consciously and together.
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