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Chinese Year 4705 February 18, 2007. It’s the year of the Pig, a Yin year. The date changes every year. It is a 15 day celebration, beginning on the first day of the new moon, and ends on the full moon. The celebration on the15th day is called the Lantern Festival.

Chinese culture is amongst the oldest in the world. While the rest of the world is in the early years of but the third millennium, Chinese culture is in their fifth millennium.

In Chinese astrology, every year is represented by an animal. The cycle is twelve years, with a different animal each year. This is the year of the “Sheep”. According to Chinese astrology, it is a “Yin” or negative year. Every person is born under one of these animals that also dictates your personality and character. To find out more about your sign, see Chinese Astrology.

Chinese New years or Spring Festival, is the biggest holiday in chinese culture. It is celebrated with festivities, fireworks, brightly colored lights, special meals with family and gift giving. Like Christmas in the western world, most chinese travel home to be with family for the new year celebration.

Each major city around Australia holds New Year’s Eve celebrations, usually accompanied by a fireworks display amongst other events. Perth’s fireworks are let off from barges along the Swan River. In Brisbane 50,000 people annually gather at sites around the Brisbane River in the city to watch a fireworks display while events are held in the city and at Southbank. The two largest New Year’s Eve celebrations in Australia are held in its two largest cities, Melbourne and Sydney. Over 1 million people gather around Sydney Harbour every year for the celebrations.

New Year’s Eve (Véspera de Ano Novo) is one of the most exuberant holidays in Brazil. In most Brazilian cities, even those of medium size, there is a major display of fireworks after midnight, and special musical shows. The most famous celebration is at the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The city of São Paulo also has a famous worldwide event: the Saint Silvester Marathon (Corrida de São Silvestre), which traverses streets between Paulista Avenue and the downtown area. It is contested by athletes of many countries, including such Olympic stars as the Kenyan runner Paul Tergat, who won it five times.

In Canada, New Year’s traditions and celebrations vary from region to region. Generally, New Year’s Eve in Canada is a social holiday, as in the neighbouring United States. In major metropolitan areas such as Toronto, major celebrations with music and fireworks are often held at Midnight. In rural areas and remote areas, people often take their snowmobiles to high hills, set up barbecues, and roast steaks or hotdogs. In some areas, such as in rural Quebec, people ice fish and drink with their friends until the early hours of January 1st. Traditions from other countries are also common due to Canada’s cultural makeup.

In China, although the celebrations of the Lunar New Year are not until a few months into the new year, celebrations of the Gregorian New Year are still held in some areas. The Times Square shopping mall in Hong Kong also holds their own send-off to the ball drop held at the Times Square in New York City.

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The Danes usually celebrate New Year’s Eve, or nytårsaften in Danish, with their families or, more commonly nowadays, with their close friends, with fireworks and champagne. The evening meal on New Years Eve is often more exclusive, and often consists of three courses; traditional deserts include Marzipan ring cake (Danish: kransekage, lit.: ring cake). Danes often watch the Queen’s New Years Speech on television. The climax is when the clock on the Copenhagen City Hall reaches twelve, and the thousands of gathered people at the city square cheer and set off their fireworks. As in Germany the national television station DR1 broadcasts Dinner for One (in Danish: 90 års fødselsdagen (lit.: The 90th birthday)).

Ecuador celebrates a unique tradition on the last day of the year. Elaborate effigies, called Años Viejos(Old Years) are created to represent people and events from the past year. Often these include political characters or leaders that the creator of the effigy may have disagreed with. The dummies are made of straw, newspaper, and old clothes, with paper mache masks. Often they are also stuffed with fire crackers. At midnight the effigies are lit on fire to symbolize burning away of the past year and welcoming of the new year. The origin of the tradition is unknown, but is similar to that of the British Guy Fawkes Night. It is possible the tradition began after a yellow fever epidemic left many dead. The corpses were then disposed of by burning.

Another well known tradition is the “Widow” which is usually a man dressed up as a woman who has to make people laugh by crying a lot. Then the public or people around will give this “widow” some sort of charity for her assumedly mentally insane husband.

Other rituals are performed for the health, wealth, prosperity and protection of each member. These rituals are the following: Twelve grapes: Each person eats twelve grapes before midnight, making a wish with each grape.

Yellow underwear: One of the most popular traditions, yellow underwear are said to attract positive energies for the New Year.

Suitcase: Walking around the block with the suitcase will bring the person the journey of their dreams.

The French call New Year’s Eve la Saint-Sylvestre. It is usually celebrated with a feast called le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre. This feast customarily includes special dishes like foie gras and drinks like champagne. The celebration can be a simple, intimate dinner with friends and family or a much fancier ball (une soirée dansante).

On le Jour de l’An (New Year’s Day), friends and family exchange New Year’s resolutions and sometimes gifts.

The holiday period ends on January 6 for the Epiphany. On this day, they traditionally enjoy a type of cake that varies depending on where you are in France.

The Germans call the New Year’s Eve Silvester. Since 1972, each New Year’s Eve, German television has broadcast a short video, Dinner for One in English. A punch line from the comedy sketch, “same procedure as every year”, has become a catch phrase in Germany.[1] Moreover in Berlin, the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in all of Europe, is celebrated by more than 1,000,000 people attending the festivities each year. A huge firework is started at the Brandenburg Gate.