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New Year around the world

4.0
(50 votes)
10 questions
English
Hard
This quiz explores New Year celebrations and customs from around the world.
1

What do Greek people hang on their doors for good luck after coming back from the New Year's Day Church Service?

Onions

Garlic

Lemons

Olive branches

Hard  7% got this right

Post-New Year's church, hanging onions symbolizes good luck, new beginnings, fertility, and growth.
2

Joya no Kane (除夜の鐘) lit. 'midnight bell' is a Japanese Buddhist event held on New Year's Eve. How many times is it rung?

30
108
130

Hard  20% got this right

It rings 108 times to symbolise the cleansing of the 108 worldly desires.
3

What do Danish people do at midnight to symbolise leaping into the New Year?

Climb to the highest point in the room

Dance in a circle

Jump off a chair

Throw fireworks

Hard  13% got this right

You all then have a good old sing-along to ‘Vær Velkommen Herrens År (Welcome to the Lord’s New Year).
4
Iris reveal

What colour do people dress in in New Year's Eve in Brazil?

White

Blue

Green

Yellow

Hard  23% got this right

Wearing white on New Year's Eve in Brazil symbolizes peace and warding off bad spirits.
5

What is the luckiest shape for objects and patterns in your house to have in the Phillipines to bring in the New Year?

Round

Crescent

Square

Star

Hard  28% got this right

People wear polka dot clothes and have round fruits in the house to symbolise prosperity and good fortune.
6

Finns perform a form of divination called molybdomancy at New Year. What metal do they use to pour into cold water?

Tin

Copper

Lead

Silver

Hard  21% got this right

The shape of the solidified metal is then interpreted to predict the future.
7

What colour of underwear is considered lucky by Italians to be wearing to bring in the New Year?

Red

Blue

Green

White

56% got this right

In Italy, wearing red underwear guarantees luck and success for the year ahead.
8
12 sequential squares

What would you carry round the block in Columbia at midnight if you wanted to ensure a year of travel?

A suitcase

A compass

A map

A ticket

Hard  26% got this right

It is supposed to inspire 12 months of travel.
9

If you lived in South Africa, what might you choose to throw out the window at New Year to symbolise new beginnings.

Furniture

Broken dishes

Confetti

Fireworks

Hard  17% got this right

In a Johannesburg suburb, despite police crackdowns, tossing unwanted items symbolises shedding baggage for the New Year
10

What are acceptable gifts for 'first-footing' in Scotland?

Black bun

Coal

Whisky

Analgesics

74% got this right

"First-footing" in Scotland involves gifting coal, shortbread, or whisky to ensure a year of warmth, food, and cheer.