Around the World at Midnight TRADITIONS THAT WELCOME A NEW YEAR
Most of us welcome the new year the same way every time. It might include a countdown, a toast, or even some fireworks. Other parts of the world mark the same moment with customs that look very different. In Spain and some Latin American countries, people ring in the new year with “las doce uvas de la suerte,” the 12 grapes of luck. The tradition is to eat a single grape with each chime of the clock at midnight. The grapes represent the 12 months of the coming year, and finishing all 12 before the last chime is thought to bring good luck. Scotland has its own thing called Hogmanay. One of their best-known customs is called “first-footing,” and it focuses on the first person who enters your house after midnight. The first- footer, traditionally a dark-haired man, enters the house with a gift to start the year off on the right foot. Coal, bread, salt, or whisky are the classic first-footing gifts. The real point, though, is the visit itself.
Japan’s year-end celebration has a different pace. Instead of noise and countdowns, things are much slower and quieter. Temples ring their bells 108 times in a ceremony called Joya no Kane, a Buddhist tradition focused on clearing away the 108 human weaknesses (often called earthly desires) to provide a clean slate for the new year. Families also take part in hatsumode, their first visit of the year to a shrine or temple. They offer coins, say a brief prayer, and may buy a written fortune or a charm for protection. And the list of New Year’s traditions doesn’t stop at these countries. In Brazil, wearing white is common, and some people throw flowers into the ocean for Lemanjá, an Afro-Brazilian sea goddess linked to protection and abundance. In Italy, lentils are eaten for prosperity because their shape resembles small coins. Different as they are, it’s easy to see the same hope running through all these customs. It’s a hope for a year that treats people a little better than the one before.
Take a Break
Korean Ground Beef
Ingredients Sauce • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce • 1 tbsp honey, or a liquid sugar- free sweetener • 1 tsp cornstarch • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Stir Fry • 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef, 85/15 • 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced • 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced Finishing Touches • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil • 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
Directions 1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. 2. In a large skillet, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as you cook, about 5 minutes. 3. Drain the beef and return it to the skillet. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 4. Stir sauce into the beef, then cook for 2 more minutes, until heated through and the sauce thickens. 5. Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil, sprinkle with sliced green onions, and serve over white rice (if desired).
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