New Year’s is a time of looking ahead with hopes for good things to come, and people wishing each other health, happiness and success in the coming year. Festivities are varied, ranging from church services to fireworks, and sometimes include special meals or traditions. Of course, Americans are familiar with the singing of Auld Lang Syne, the Scottish song originally published by Robert Burns, and popularized more than a century later by bandleader Guy Lombardo. Read on for a sampling of New Year’s Eve revelries, and you just may find a few you’ll want to incorporate into your own traditions, or partake in when traveling for depositions abroad!
In the Bavaria region of Germany, New Year’s Eve festivities include the beloved tradition of Bleigießen, in which a small piece of lead is melted in a spoon over candle flame, before being dropped into ice water. As the lead takes on a shape, that shape is interpreted to make predictions about the year ahead. Germany is one of a handful of countries that requires depositions be held at the Consulate. For more information, click here. In Scotland, people visit their friends shortly after midnight to wish each other well, and it is considered especially good luck if the first person to enter your home in the new year is a tall, dark, handsome man (this is the land of Sean Connery, remember). Scotland has no special requirements as far as taking depositions.
Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve celebrations include fireworks, with an 8-minute musical firework display in Victoria Harbour. The spectacle is big enough to be seen from almost anywhere in Hong Kong! In Japan, the title for New Year is Shogatsu, and popular tradition dictates visits to local temples or shrines. Temple bells ring out 108 times at midnight on New Year’s Eve, to expel 108 human weaknesses. Japan is another country with special requirements as far as taking depositions.
In Spain, it is tradition to eat twelve grapes, in time with the striking of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve. This is said to bring 12 happy months. Once the grapes are gone, city squares erupt with music, confetti, and dancing. The Dutch eat special fritters (oliebollen), which symbolize coming “full circle” and bringing good fortune. They also light bonfires in the streets, igniting their Christmas trees. Neither Spain nor the Netherlands have restrictions or special requirements regarding depositions.
Of course, one of the most popular New Year traditions is the making of resolutions. Covering a wide spectrum, they include spiritual resolutions, as well as professional, romantic, health-related, etc., — an expression of optimism about the fresh start of the year. With resolutions set, people return to work. If your work involves international depositions, there are a few resolutions you can make to streamline the process.
