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New Year’s traditions around the world!
Happy New Year everybody!
I hope you all had a nice holiday and a wonderful New Year’s Eve. After a few weeks of vacations we’re now back in Nice, at Azurlingua. Even if the holiday has been very nice and very much needed, it feels very good to finally be back in Nice and back to school.
In class today we talked about the different traditions for New Year’s in different countries. For example, in Switzerland they wear red underwear to New Year’s Eve parties for good luck, and in Colombia they do the same thing but instead of red, they wear yellow underwear. Our teacher told us that here in France they make a lentil salad the day after New Year’s Eve (ie. January 1st) which they each take a bite of. This is suppose to bring them fortune in the coming year. A student who had been to Spain during New Year’s told us that the Spanish eat raisins when the church bell rings at midnight, and then one raisin for every strike of the bell thereafter (for a total of 12 raisins). This is suppose to bring good luck. In China, parents sit down with their children the day before New Year’s Eve and wish them good luck in the new year, and maybe even share some words of wisdom. Each country represented in our class had some common traditions, such as: drinking champagne, kissing someone at the strike of midnight or shooting fireworks at midnight. No one was sure why we shot fireworks but I think it’s to scare all the bad spirits away. It was also unclear why we kiss someone at midnight, but in Sweden they say that it’s so the year will be full of love and happiness.
Making New Year’s resolutions was also a commonality among our countries. What could be a better resolution than learning French? It’s a new year, a new start and that means new opportunities! Experience something new and make life long memories. To go abroad, to learn a new language and to experience a new culture is gaining popularity. It’s a way to broaden you horizons and get some perspective on life. French courses here at Azurlingua start this week and a lot of new students are arriving. Of course leaving home and its familiarity behind can be very scary, but remember that learning a new language, such as French, is a investment for life and in a city like Nice it’s impossible not to have a good time!
Don’t forget to check out our other blog posts on New Year’s Eve!
C’est super, à toi aussi: bonne année! Chaque culture a sa façon diférent de fêter le 31, mais toutes les cultures souhaitent la même chose, la paix, la santé et l’amour!
Kick starting the New Year with an adventure makes for a good year! You are right, leaving home and its familiarity behind can be scary but once you are here you quickly realize it’s no big deal and it’s fun!