New Year celebrations: 14 alternative ways to enjoy the holiday

We all know what January first means on the Gregorian calendar. It means New Year celebrations filled with dazzling lights, firework displays, large crowds, and a feeling of bubbling excitement for 365 days of new opportunities. This excitement isn’t limited to just one night in January. Across the globe, many countries use different calendars, leading to New Year celebrations occurring throughout the year. From the colorful dragon dances of the Chinese Spring Festival to Thailand’s Songkran water fights, each celebration offers a unique glimpse into a rich tapestry of tradition and culture. Explore the thrill of New Year celebrations around the world and how they are displayed across cultures: these are the best alternative New Year’s traditions to get you into the festive spirit.

Celebrate the New Year’s Day countdown with these cultural holidays

Experience the thrill of “watching the ball drop” across the world. Immerse yourself in the joy of Ethiopia’s Enkutatash, the spiritual reflection of Rosh Hashanah, or the vibrant lights of Diwali.

1. Chinese New Year – late January to early February

Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important celebration in China. It starts on the first day of the lunar New Year and lasts 15 to 16 days. This means it ends just before the start of the Lantern Festival in early March. It is a time for families to celebrate together, typically giving gifts like red envelopes filled with money and preparing lavish feasts.

Red paper decorations adorn windows and doors to signify good luck and happiness, and the coming of the new year is welcomed with fireworks and firecrackers. Although Chinese New Year is celebrated worldwide, there is nowhere better to experience it during your vacation to China. We recommend Hong Kong as one of the best places for a New Year’s Eve celebration, whether you’re following the Gregorian calendar or Lunar.

2. Tết Nguyên Đán – late January to mid-February

The Tết Nguyên Đán celebrations (or Tết for short) mark the start of the Lunar New Year in Vietnam. The date varies yearly, but it bursts with excitement thanks to a week-long festival filled with food, family, and festivities everyone should experience at least once.

Throw away your schedule and join in the fun as huge street parties take over, fueled by many culinary delights that only appear for this festival. Naturally, weeks of shopping, decorating, and cooking precede the festivities, and the whole country buzzes with anticipation.

While this is a time for enjoyment, it’s also one marked with many spiritual activities that pay respect to ancestors. These include cooking and offering symbolic foods, visiting graves, and burning incense. So, if you plan to visit Vietnam between January and February, be sure to add this celebration to your itinerary.

3. Korean Lunar New Year (Seollal) – late January to early February

The Lunar New Year is celebrated by different Asian countries, but it is commemorated in various ways depending on the country. While South Korea celebrates January first alongside the West, it also celebrates Seollal on the first day of the Lunar calendar.

Seollal is typically celebrated over three days and is marked by many people wearing hanboks — traditional Korean attire known for their elegant designs and bright colors. They also enjoy traditional dishes like eating tteokguk (rice cake soup), playing traditional games, and kite-flying.

It is also a time for exchanging gifts with loved ones and ancestors, such as fruits, health products, and silk pouches filled with money called bokjumeoni. These pouches symbolize good luck and prosperity for the new year.

4. Cambodian New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey) – mid-April

Three days of colorful, noisy celebrations in April mark the start of the new Khmer year in Cambodia. As the end of the harvesting season draws to a close, Cambodians have a chance to rest and relax before the rainy season begins, usually in September.

Prayers are said, and offerings are made to ancestral spirits and orange-clad monks at the Buddhist temples. Fragrant peanut curries, steaming bowls of noodles, and fresh mangoes are shared between family and friends. Bells and drums can be heard across the country.

For visitors traveling to Cambodia, this is a chance to share in one of the country’s most popular festivals.

5. Persian New Year (Nowruz) – March 20 or 21

Nowruz is a joyous New Year’s celebration that takes place in Iran, Afghanistan, and other parts of Central Asia such as Uzbekistan. This celebration marks the start of the Vernal Equinox and is rooted in the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, founded in the sixth century BC.

During this time, you can expect live music, large gatherings of friends and family, street festivals, New Year fireworks, and games. Of course, at the heart of this 13-day festival is a feast.

The most popular dish to usher in the coming year is a Haft-sin spread, which displays seven ingredients beginning with an ‘s’. Naturally, this varies from region to region as languages vary, but this spread often includes garlic, vinegar, apples, nuts, sweets, sabzeh, and even coins (sekeh).

6. Balinese New Year (Nyepi) – March

While many New Year’s Eve celebrations are filled with loud noises, Indonesia‘s Bali takes a different approach. If you visit Indonesia during this time, you’ll experience a day of silence to mark the new year — a key day on the Saka New Year calendar.

On the day, the entire island comes to a standstill with no music, no traffic, and no lights for 24 hours. Instead, this time is spent meditating and praying in preparation for the island’s purification of evil spirits in the new year.

The day after Nyepi, Ngembak Geni, marks the end of silence and the first day of the year. During this time, locals visit friends and family, go to temples, and watch the unveiling of the Ogoh-Ogoh effigies as a symbol of good overthrowing evil.

7. Thai New Year (Songkran) – April 13

Thailand’s way to celebrate the new year wins by having one of the most fun activities — a water fight. Marked on the solar calendar at the beginning of summer, this annual Thai Festival is a refreshing take on a holiday that is done to symbolize purification and renewal.

While younger generations will take a more poised method when approaching their elders by pouring water over their hands and feet to cleanse them, it’s a different ball game among their peers. Modern times see people splashing each other with water in the street, with many carrying water pistols to really make a wave in their fortune. A trip to Thailand in April is arguably one of the most fun ways to splash your way into the Thai New Year.

8. Hindu New Year (Nava Varsha) – March to April

Nava Varsha is celebrated across various regions in India. The exact date varies annually, as it marks the beginning of the Hindu month of Chaitra (during the waxing moon phase).

Modern celebrations blend tradition with contemporary styles, with friends and families gathering for huge feasts, extensive colorful decorations, and traditional rituals like puja. Oftentimes, people will also take this time to take a ritual bath in sacred rivers.

Celebrations vary across regions, from Punjab’s harvest festivals to Maharashtra’s Gudi Padwa ceremony of hoisting a decorated pole. If you vacation in India during this time, all these regions celebrate the day as a symbol of renewal and spiritual growth.

9. Bengali New Year (Pôhela Boishakh) – April 14 or 15

Pôhela Boishakh is celebrated mainly in Bangladesh but also in some parts of India, like West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam. The festival date is based on the Bengali solar calendar, which marks the start of summer.

Cultural processions like the Mangal Shobhajatra are a must-see when you are here. This parade sees colorful floats and performances fill the streets, with many people wearing traditional wear, like punjabis and sarees. The crowd also enjoys traditional foods, like panta bhat (fermented rice), hilsa fish, and various sweets, as well as authentic music and dance.

This time is really one for family and friends to anticipate and celebrate a new year of endless possibilities.

10. Tamil New Year (Puthandu) – April 14

Puthandu is celebrated in Southern India in Tamil Nadu. The date is based on the Tamil solar calendar and is marked by its traditions of visiting temples and exchanging gifts.

One of the more beautiful traditions is decorating homes and temples in beautifully intricate patterns, sculptures, and twinkling bells. There are also captivating kolams on the entrance floor, which use rice flour in beautiful hues to display decorative patterns in the home. These symbolize the welcoming of prosperity and auspiciousness into your life.

Families often gather to eat traditional meals together, like pachadi (sweet and sour chutney) and payasam (a sweet vermicelli dessert), which symbolize the sweetness of a year to come.

Together, these elements create a celebration bursting with flavor, joy, and cultural significance, making Puthandu a cherished occasion for all.

11. Diwali – November

Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated throughout India between October and December. The story behind Diwali and the way it is celebrated varies throughout India, but for some parts, like Gujarat, it signifies the start of a new year.

Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil, signifying the triumph of good over evil, which are kept alight to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. It is centered on an awareness of inner light and is a beautiful, magical festival that brilliantly showcases India’s spiritual heart.

12. Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) – September 11 (or 12 in leap years)

Enkutatash, meaning “gift of jewels,” is marked on the 11th (or 12th) of September, marking the end of the rainy season and the beginning of a new year ahead. However, the country uses its own Ethiopian calendar (or Ge’ez Calendar), which is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar.

This day is celebrated by eating customary meals, children singing traditional songs, going from door to door, coffee ceremonies, bonfires, and parades. This traditional celebration is one of the most authentic experiences you can enjoy on your Ethiopian vacation.

13. Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) – September to October

Rosh Hashanah marks the start of the High Holy Days and spans over two days as an event of spiritual reflection and prayers for a prosperous new year. During this time, people take off work and go to the synagogue to participate in prayer and liturgy. In service, you can hear the shofar (ram’s horn) blowing to symbolize a new year and call everyone to repentance.

Foods enjoyed around this time include round challah, often dipped in honey to symbolize hope for a sweet and prosperous new year, while the bread represents the cycle of life. Apples dipped in honey are eaten to wish for a sweet year, while other fruits, like pomegranates, are eaten to wish for good deeds and to symbolize renewal.

While relaxation and repentance are the most important activities during this period, it’s also a time to spend time with family and friends — breaking bread and enjoying the new year together.

14. Islamic New Year (Muharram) – date varies

The Islamic New Year’s date changes yearly and has no fixed date as it uses the lunar calendar. This period marks the significant event of the migration of Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina.

There are no big celebrations during this time as it’s reserved as a period of reflection and devotion to the teachings of Islam. Oftentimes, participants fast, do charity work, perform good deeds, and seek spiritual growth.

FAQs about the world’s unique New Year’s celebrations

Still have some questions about things to do on New Year’s Day? Here are our most asked questions.

Which country celebrates the New Year first in the world?

The first country that gets to enjoy a happy New Year with fireworks is Kiribati in the Central Pacific. This is thanks to the country’s unique position on the International Date Line.

What is the most famous New Year’s tradition?

The most popular thing to do on New Year’s Eve is count down to midnight. Setting off fireworks, making a toast, and singing Auld Lang Syne are also quite popular ways to welcome a prosperous year in many countries.

Why is the New Year celebrated around the world?

The celebration of a new year symbolizes the end of an old year and the start of new possibilities and resolutions. In some cultures, it also has a religious significance, such as Rosh Hashanah and the Islamic New Year (Muharram).

Make it happen

As you greet each new year, seize the chance to gain insights from these varied customs, nurturing a greater understanding of the global community we are all a part of. Plan your getaway to one of these unique destinations today: explore our trip ideas for inspiration, or navigate to our destination pages to get in touch with our locally-based travel experts, and begin your personalized trip planning adventure.