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It is called
nochevieja – noche for night, and vieja for old (old night). The dates are the same –
December 31st and the 1st of January. The celebrations run over two days. The
evening of December 31st usually marks the bigger celebrations, as the Spanish
people await midnight. On January 1st celebrations continue as people gather with
family and friends. All this is basically the same here in Georgia too.
One special Spanish tradition on new years eve is the eating of 12 grapes.
Tradition has it that you have to eat them one by one, in time with the striking of
the clock at midnight on 31 december. If you manage to eat all the grapes in time,
you are in for a year of prosperity and good luck. The grapes are the most
anticipated moment of new years eve. The chiming of the clock is broadcast on tv
all over spain. On this day, family or friends usually get together for a delicious
dinner and then have the twelve grapes. In many towns and villages people go to a
central square or an iconic place where there is a large clock, to eat the grapes
together and share the last minutes of the old year.
One place in spain is especially famous for this tradition: Puerto del sol, the
central square in madrid. Thousands of people gather every new years eve below
the clock to celebrate the arrival of the new year, transforming the square into a
huge shared party. The atmosphere is fantastic, with confetti and streamers
everywhere, music, party blowers, people dressed up with wigs. Hats and masks;
and above all, everyone is up for a good time.
The streets fill with groups of young people, music playing and carse
honking their horns to greet the new year. At bars and clubs, there are new years
parties with dancing until dawn. Many hotels and restaurants also organize special
new years eve celebrations, including dinner, grapes, dancing and entertainment.
Another Spanish tradition says that you have to eat lentil soup for lunch,
each of the tiny round lentils represents a coin. Eating the soup of coins for lunch
on new years day is believed to bring you wealth in the coming year.
To bring not just good fortune, but an actual fortune in the new year,
Spaniards drop a gold object into their glass of cava before the midnight toast. In
order for the good luck charm to work, you have to drink the entire glass of cava
after the midnight toast and retrieve your golden object. Some say you can bring
different types of luck depending on what you put in your glass. Looking for love?
Drop in a strawberry, cherry or raspberry. Want to assure fidelity? be sure that the
gold object is your wedding ring.
Another spanish tradition that I find very interesting and fun is cupids red
underthings. If your new years resolution is to fall in love this year, then you have
to make sure to wear red underwear once new year hits. In some parts of spain, this
good luck charm only works if the underwear was a gift. In others, you have to
give your underpants away by the end of the night for the love potion to work.
To finish off the night, before going to bed, people like to top up their
energy with traditional hot chocolate and churros. My sister made it once for our
family and they tasted awesome, they really hit the spot.
As for Georgia, new years eve is really special for us too, we even celebrate
it two times. In addition to decorating the common new years tree – the gree one,
we have our special festive décor called chichilaki. Instead of sparkly toys with
diverse designs, chichilaki is mostly decorated with flowers and an assortment of
fruits. In Georgia, every food is special. Our supra has it all. It is believed that you
should greet the new year with generosity, so this is what most of the Georgians
do. There are certain dishes that you can always find on new years supra: satsivi,
gozinaki, xachapuri and etc. we cant forget about mekle as well who is the first
person to enter the house on new years day. It is believed that the upcoming year
will pass according to the fortune, joy and luck that mekvle brings. When entering
the house, mekvle throws in the sweets, nuts and fruit in every corner of the room
as a symbol of fortune.
Las calles se llenan de grupos de jóvenes, música y coches que tocan sus
bocinas para recibir el nuevo año. En bares y discotecas, hay fiestas de año nuevo
con baile hasta el amanecer. Muchos hoteles y restaurantes también organizan
celebraciones especiales de fin de año, que incluyen cena, uvas, baile y
entretenimiento.
Otra tradición española dice que hay que comer sopa de lentejas para el
almuerzo, cada una de las diminutas lentejas redondas representa una moneda. Se
cree que comer la sopa de monedas para el almuerzo el día de año nuevo le traerá
riqueza el próximo año.
Para traer no solo buena fortuna, sino una verdadera fortuna en el nuevo año,
los españoles dejan caer un objeto de oro en su copa de cava antes del brindis de
medianoche. Para que el amuleto de la buena suerte funcione, debes beberte toda la
copa de cava después del brindis de medianoche y recuperar tu objeto dorado.
Algunos dicen que puedes traer diferentes tipos de suerte dependiendo de lo que
pongas en tu vaso. ¿Buscando amor? Agregue una fresa, una cereza o una
frambuesa. ¿Quieres asegurar la fidelidad? asegúrese de que el objeto de oro sea su
anillo de bodas.
esto fue todo lo que tenia que decir sobre la celebracion de año nuevo en
españa y georgia, espero que les haya gustado.