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From eating 12 grapes to wearing polka dots, the special day has many different traditions across the globe, reports FARZANA

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Doesn'tNew Year's Eve bear a comfortab le familiarity? Every year, we all know pretty much what's in store People dress up in celebrato ry outfits, children don wings, halos and carry glow sricks Everyone awaits the big m o ment when one yea r will breathe its last aod another will be born. Some stake our die best va ntage points from the morning for the spectacular fireworks and the rowdy countdown to m idnight. There ate New Year E,1e's parries and picnics where people just l et their hair down. Thar's how Australia celebrates the start of the New Year, and that's bow it's done all over the world, rig h t? \'v'RONG

Some culmres take their New Year celebrarions much more seriously, in the belief that what you do on the birth of a year will reflect oo how your luck will play our diroughout the year.

South America

In South American culmre something as simp le as choosing the colour of ym1r underwear on New Year's Eve can play a vital role on how your ludc will pan our for the next 12 months. Ir is ser ious business, so if yo u ate looking for love you go for red, or if it is moner you are after you dish out tliose bright ye t.low Lmderpants.

Britain

Here, the First Foot New Year

INDIAN LINK custom is quite common. lt is believed tbat the first things a person sees when the New Year arrives is indicacive of d1e rest of the year. A male is usually chosen to eater die house a t midnigh t bearing symbols of prosperity like alcoho l, food, money etc.

Denmark

Two old ew Year customs have smvived in D e nmark to this day Leaping off chairs at the stroke of midnight is believed to ward off evil spirits and tlirowing crockery at friends' houses is a reminder of love and friendship. People store away d1eir cracked plates aocl bowls to tli.row at tlieir friends' houses on ew Yea.r. The more broken crockery you have ac your d oor the next day the luckier you are because it is indicarive o f how many friends you have.

Spain

It is a long standing tradition in Spain co eat 1 2 grapes betweeu the first aod the twel fth Stt<>ke of midnigh t oo New Year. It is believed tlim if you frnish 12 grapes by die last stroke yo u wiU have 12 mond1s of good luck.

The Philippines Filipinos focus on round diings o n New Year. It is strongly believed that consuming round fruits and wearing clothes with cfrcular patterns l ike polka clots ensures good luck for the rest of the year It is associated with gaining wealth in the coming year as coins are round

Panama ln Panama d1e New Year celebrations take oo a macabre twist. Here, highly detailed dolls cal.led munecos are crafted of promineor celebriries and poliricians and se t alight on New Year.

Ecuador

A similar custom is als o fol.lowed in Ecuad o r where people gather around in die neigh b ourhood and burn pictures of diings they do no r want in the New Year.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans clean and decorate d1eir houses in preparation for the New Year. This i s thought to deanse rbe spirit and ward off bad luck. It is al so customary to di row buckets of water out of windows ro tbrow the old year out and make way for the new

Mexico

Staying witl1 d1e spirits, Mexicans celebrate New Year's Eve Lrying to communicate with the dead io order to seek guidance for the coming ye ar. Short sess ions of spiritualism, meditation and communicacion with the dead are offered at various places for a small price.

Chile

Chileans like ro include their deceased ancestors in dieir New Year celebrations as wel.l. The custom here in some cities is to participate in mass on New

Year's Eve and then visit the graveyard to await t he New Year with the dead.

Ireland

1n Ire la nd , singl e women place mistletoe leaves under their pillow on New Year's Eve in rhe hope of finding love and getting married i n the corning year. Tb e mistletoe leaves are also believed to deAect bad luck.

Scotland

The New Year celebrarion or rhe Hogmanay Festival is b igge r than Christmas io Scotland. On l ew Year's Eve rnen parade tlie streets swing ing huge baUs of fire attached co chains, over their heads. ln die Scottish culmre, it is believed that the fire symboli ses purity and is d1ought to bring sunshine and hope. At the end of the ceremony the fue balls are thrown into d1e sea.

So the fact remains d1at despite all of our little differences, deep down we ate all quite similar in our b elief that a n ew year symbolises hope and comes wirh a pro rnise of new beginnings In al.l culmres it is considered a rime co make resolucious to give up bad habits, adopt good changes and loo k fonvard to a better future. Here's co the new year.