Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, and on New Year’s Eve, it is customary for Buddhist temples around the country to ring their bells 108 times. It is called Joya no Kane, with each ring tied to the 108 earthly temptations – greed, delusion, doubt, shame, ignorance and anger among them –dispelling each as we cast off our sins at midnight. Tokyo’s iconic Sensoji and Zozoji Temples are popular destinations to literally ring in the new year, with tickets sold in advance and stalls selling seasonal fare. It is also customary for the Japanese to visit Shinto or Buddhist shrines on New Year’s Day to make blessings and pray for good fortune. New Year’s Day is also a time for osechi ryori, a bento box of traditional dishes viewed as the year’s most important meal.

In Denmark, they make a lot of noise to scare off evil spirits, and come midnight, physically leap into the new year from a table, couch or chair. In Spain, eating 12 grapes with each stroke of midnight is custom, ensuring good luck if you make it and bad luck if your timing is off (and terrible luck if you end up choking.) In Greece, midnight arrives with a sweet cake containing a single coin inserted at the base. Whoever gets the coin slice scores luck for the incoming year. As for the flow of drinks, champagne has been a popular New Year’s Eve staple since the 1880s. Up until that point, bubbly was the domain of royalty and nobles. Still, once it was marketed as an aspirational beverage, New Year became the primary occasion to splurge on something special. The climactic cork explosion was a nice complement to exploding fireworks and ringing bells.

Ecuadoreans burn scarecrow-like effigies called Año Viejo at midnight, reducing a symbolic representative of the old year to ashes. Along with Colombians and Mexicans, Ecuadoreans might also pack a suitcase with clothing for a trip they’d like to take in the new year, further manifesting this destiny by taking the suitcase for a short walk. In Latvia, going to bed before midnight is asking for a lazy year, and in neighbouring Estonia, good luck is favoured by eating seven, nine or 12 meals during the evening, making sure there are leftovers on each plate for visiting ancestral spirits. Millions of Americans watch their TVs as the ball drops at the north end of New York’s Times Square. As for being in Times Square itself, you might want to stick to the slick TV production. All I recall are inebriated crowds and trashed streets with a desperate tang of urine. 

Across the country, Canadians gather together for house parties and celebrations in private and public spaces. Torontonians witness a free firework display in the city’s inner harbour, with pop-up performances and music at Toronto Music Garden and Sherbourne Common. Bars and clubs across Montreal have held special NYE parties, restaurants offer highlight NYE menus, and there is a free public festival in the Old Port. Up to 40,000 people visit Niagara Falls to see festive NYE colours and fireworks. In contrast, thousands of locals will visit Winnipeg’s The Forks for family-friendly activities like ice skating, sledding, snow sculptures, and fireworks.

It’s much the same in Calgary’s Prince’s Island Park. On our ski hills, you can revel in various festivals, including torch runs down the slopes and, of course, more fireworks. Why are we obsessed with fireworks on New Year’s Eve? Tradition has long held that we light up a dark sky with loud noises to prevent evil spirits from entering the new year. 

It’s perhaps the morning after the night before when Canadians come into their own, specifically with our penchant for Polar Bear Swims. From St John’s to Vancouver, January 1st is an excuse for thousands of people to plunge into freezing oceans, lakes and rivers because thousands have clearly lost their minds. The public ritual is. However, a cold-shock cleanse for the year ahead will kick things off with a challenge overcome and a fun way to raise money for charity, too.

Despite the constant upheaval in the news and our personal challenges, New Year’s Eve is a rare excuse to gather with the people who matter most as we reflect on what has been and indulge ourselves with the hope that it only gets better from here. While it’s tempting to think you’re missing out by not being in Times Square, London’s Trafalgar Square, Sydney or Copacabana, my own experience has taught me that the idea of these celebrations is more enticing than the reality. On New Year’s Eve, if you’re with the people you love, you’re not missing anything. Happy New Year!