New Year’s Eve can be one of the most highly anticipated nights of the year – and, with such great expectations, can also often be an absolute flop.
Around the world, people mark the occasion in different ways.
From the well-known Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes under a table at midnight to the extravagant fireworks displays in bustling locations, the options are limitless.
But despite there being many well-established traditions, some are keen to create their own ways of welcoming in the new year.
Families finding new methods to celebrate had led to a slew of weird and wonderful traditions popping up on social media, with many taking to platforms such as TikTok to share their fun – and, often, bizarre – customs.
Here’s a selection of some of the best and strangest traditions from around the world.
Balloon drop waterfall
This simple DIY tradition has made its way across social media, especially in the US, lauded for its entertainment value – perfect if you have children.
TikTok user Cass Olive shared a video explaining how to set up a balloon drop: you simply attach a tablecloth to the ceiling, leaving space to put blown-up balloons beneath the ceiling.
On the countdown, you pull down the tablecloth to release a cascade of balloons.
She said: ‘Our favourite New Year’s tradition with the kids! So easy to put together and the memories last a lifetime!
‘All you need is a plastic table cloth, painters tape, baloons and some ribbon or rope! Then you have yourself a DIY balloon drop!
‘Find a count down on YouTube and have the drop whenever you want so you can get the kiddos to bed and they don’t feel like they missed out.’
Playing a strange instrument
While it’s not surprising someone might want to travel overseas to bring in the new year, one traveller had a strange reason for his adventure.
Kurt Schneider, an American, posted on TikTok: ‘My favorite New Year’s tradition: fly to New York and play Auld Lang Syne on this strange instrument…’
He headed to Little Island to play the tune on a sort of keyboard-bell instrument.
Little Island in New York is a park filled with sensory activities and instruments – and, for Kurt, the strange instrument you play with your feet was the highlight.
Water bombs
When you think of water bombs, your mind likely goes straight to the summer.
Think water fights in the garden, accompanied by shrieking children and a generally raucous atmosphere.
But for one writer, water bombs and a full-on water fight are the hallmark of a family New Year’s Eve well spent.
Patrick Marlborough wrote in The Guardian that for almost 50 years, his family has partaken in a water bomb battle to welcome in the new year in Australia.
Witch rituals – including coloured underwear
For fans of the supernatural, there are lots of witchy rituals that could help ensure you manifest the best possible year ahead.
Rosa The Divine Feminine Witch posted a video to her TikTok @divine.fem.witchery, sharing her best witchy New Year traditions.
In the clip, she says: ‘These are my favourite New Year superstitions. If you are trying to manifest a specific intention for the new year, you have to wear brand-new panties of a specific colour.’
For instance, red underwear will welcome in a year filled with love and passion, while purple signifies power and creativity.
She adds: ‘Don’t do your laundry or clean on January 1 because it is said that doing your laundry on January 1 is washing away a loved one.’
Rosa also said: ‘Making lots of noise at midnight will ward off evil spirits. This is why party horns are used. And in some countries, they use pots and pans while in others they break glass or plates.’
Champagne grapes
A Spanish tradition involves eating a dozen grapes – one with each bell strike at midnight.
But one TikToker, @_.natalierios, takes that a step further – by making champagne grapes.
She posted a video captioned: ’12 grapes, 12 wishes, one sweet year ahead.’
By soaking grapes in champagne, she took the popular tradition one step further to make it her own.
Crack a walnut – and burn a candle
What if all you needed was a bowl of water, wishes written on paper and walnuts made into candles to bring in 2026?
That’s exactly what Bridget Rose did, showing her family tradition of lighting a walnut candle to let it float and burn the paper with the wishes written on them – the first wish to burn will come true.
Bridget posted a video on her TikTok @the.cut.flower.club saying: ‘I actually think it does work. My wish ‘won’ three years ago.
‘Back then I was 14 years into a job in software, feeling completely numb. My 55-year-old sister had recently died and my career direction felt pointless. And then I was made redundant. My wish was simply: find something that feels meaningful.
‘Over the past 18 months that’s exactly what’s happened. I started growing cut flowers and then teaching others to do the same. It gave me purpose and a reason to get up and out into the garden again. And I’ve seen it do the same for others.
‘So I think there’s something in this small tradition. If you try it this on New Year’s Eve, I hope something good comes your way!’
A pig-shaped money pot – made from a lemon
To celebrate the new year, many Germans give gifts of small marzipan pigs to loved ones.
But since 2017, a new – strange – tradition has taken over social media: lemon pigs.
You simply stick toothpicks into a lemon as legs, cloves for the eyes, an aluminum foil tail, and ears by carving into the top of the lemon and pulling up two tiny flaps of peel.
You carve a slit in front for the mouth, and stick a coin in it for luck.
Supposedly, leaving it up in your home all year brings in luck, northjersey.com reported.
Other traditions around the world
Of course, there are plenty of better-known New Year’s Eve traditions around the world.
In Belgium, children write decorated letters to their parents to read aloud.
Meanwhile, in Chile, eating lentils on New Year’s Eve is seen as a way to ensure a lucrative year to come.
Many Colombians run around the block with a suitcase to increase the odds of taking an exciting trip.
In the Philippines, people wear polka dots, as the circles symbolize prosperity. They also turn on all the lights in their home to turn away evil spirits.
And Scotland has a ritual called ‘first footing’ – the first person to cross another home’s threshold after midnight should bring gifts, for example whiskey.
