OPINION (AN COLUN): Superstition and tradition on New Year's Eve

AT the turning from one year to the next many of us look forward with hope. Some of us pray to God asking fervently for good fortune and protection from evil for ourselves and for our loved ones. Others resort to the realm of superstition in a bid to keep the grim forces of life at bay. In Spain, for example, some think that wearing red on New Year's Eve will give them a better chance of enjoying a decent 2023. They also believe that if they toast the New Year in with gold in their drinks then lady luck might smile favourably on them.
In Germany they have a tradition called Bleigießen (lead pouring), which, they believe, will tell you what the coming year will bring. They heat a little piece of lead in a spoon held over a small flame. Then they drop it quickly into cold water and the strange shape it then takes on reveals what the year will bring.
On New Year's Eve the French like to dress in smart, elegant clothing. They will either head out to restaurants or put on a buffet at home, and enjoy oysters and lobsters before exchanging small gifts with one another. When the clock strikes twelve, everyone will turn on the TV and join in with the countdown before singing ‘ce n’est qu’un au revoir’ (which means 'this isn't more than just a goodbye') which is their version of Auld Lang Syne. New Year's Day tends to be very similar to Christmas, filled with delicious food, presents and money for children and a large amount of champagne.
In Germany they like to mark the occasion by sitting down to a meal which lasts quite some time. A popular food is raclette, where cheese is melted on a table-top grill and accompanied by meats, pickles and potatoes. Bowle (punch) is frequently offered by those who are hosting New Year’s Eve. They love combining fruits, alcohol and juice for their guests. At midnight they clink with glasses filled with champagne and on New Year’s Day it’s common to attend concerts – the most famous one in the German-speaking world is Neujahrskonzert in Vienna, Austria.
In Spain the main tradition that people tend to follow is campanadas, which is when people eat twelve grapes during the last twelve strikes of the clock before midnight. The Spanish will also enjoy a tasty selection of appetisers throughout the evening which include ham, cheese and seafood before their main dish which tends to be meat or fish. Another tradition is to run a 10km race, called San Silvestre. These races take place all around Spain, but the most famous one is San Silvestre Vallecana which takes place in Madrid.
In Turkey, New Year's Eve is spent getting together, having dinner and listening to traditional Turkish music. People enjoy a spread of meze (a selection of small dishes served as appetisers), with some Rakıi, a traditional Turkish alcoholic drink made of distilled grapes and aniseed. New Year's Day is typically spent with family but the get-together usually ends around 6pm due to the celebrations from the night before.
Here in Ireland there are a number of long-held traditions which are no longer practised by us. For example it used to be tradition to take a large loaf of Christmas bread or cake outside the house and hammer it against the closed doors and windows. Sometimes, the bread or cake was first bitten into three times representing the Holy Trinity. The idea behind these superstitious practices was to drive out any possible misfortune in the year to come and to let happiness in. Because of this tradition New Year's Day used to be called the "Day of Buttered Bread".
In the 16th and 17th centuries, we exported enormous quantities of corned beef to France, England and America. Because of this the local market price of beef was too expensive for the average Irish person to afford. It was therefore savored as a special treat on New Year's to represent abundance and wealth. This tradition of eating corned beef on New Year's Day was commonly practised for many years. It was often eaten with cabbage, which was a common source of nutrition in Ireland going back to the eighth century. People believed that eating corned beef and cabbage might increase their chances of receiving good luck and prosperity.
One superstition which still endures in Ireland involves which direction the wind might be blowing from. Should it be coming in from the west, then people will be looking forward to a great year ahead. But a wind blowing from the east on New Year's Day does not bode well.
A charming tradition in this country took place on the stroke of midnight on December 31st, when those seeking good luck in the forthcoming year were recommended to enter their house through the front door and leave through the back.
My favourite Irish New Year custom, because it is a custom which I find to be very touching, was the tradition (which is still practised by some) whereby on New Year’s night, families set a place at the dinner table for those lost the year before; and they let the door off the latch. It was a beautiful way of remembering loved ones who had gone to the next world.