New Years Eve is one of the only holidays that is celebrated around the whole world. There are many traditions that have been formed throughout the years including fireworks, a kiss at midnight, and lucky grapes. Different countries have made their own traditions while some have adapted the old ones. Here are some of the most popular and culture rich traditions of the holiday. 
The most common New Years Eve traditions is the kiss at midnight. Love is a universal language that is expressed on many holidays. During the first few second of the New Year, more people are locking lips than at any other time during the year. This custom started in ancient Europe as a way to fight off evil spirits. A kiss at midnight is to ensure that your year will not be spent alone. “Half of Americans report plans to smooch someone at midnight, whether that’s someone they’re in a relationship with (44%), someone they know but aren’t dating (4%), or a stranger (2%).”
Fireworks is another tradition that has taken over the holiday. Most countries set off fireworks to commemorate the new year, but the tradition started in China. The Chinese invented fireworks and were the first to light them during the holiday. The symbolism of fireworks is to scare and cast away the bad spirits for the new year.
The ball drop in Times Square is the most prominent American tradition on NYE. Every year, over 1,000,000 Americans gather to watch the year change. the first ball was in 1907 and weighed 700 pounds. It was lit with 100 25-watt lights while today it is covered in 2,688 crystals, is lit by 32,000 LED lights. Now it weighs 11,875 pounds and is 12 feet in diameter. The New York Times started the modern-day tradition of dropping a ball on a pole to mark the beginning of the new year.
The tradition of consuming grapes was started in Spain. The trend consists of eating one grape for every toll of the clock at midnight. The twelve grapes consumed are meant to represent good luck for each month of the year. Some even prepare their grapes by peeling and seeding beforehand to ensure they’re easy to consume. The tradition is believed to have originated at the turn of the 20th century in the southern part of the country where makers of wine worked to boost demand for grapes in the winter. The tradition in Spain has evolved in America to eating twelve grapes under a table a minute before midnight. For every grape, you make a wish. This brings good luck and love into the new year.
The Festival of Saint Basil is the Greek celebration of the New Year, honoring the founder of the Greek Orthodox Church. Each year, there are a number of celebrations that take place as a means to attract luck and bring prosperity. An onion, for example, is traditionally hung on the door of homes as a symbol of rebirth, and on New Year’s Day, parents wake children by tapping them on the head with the onion.
