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The New Year is a time for celebration all over the world. However, not everyone celebrates the same way as Americans do.

In Spain, for instance, it is a tradition to serve everyone twelve grapes just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. When the clock starts to chime everyone puts a grape in their mouth, and then another grape with each chime until all twelve chimes have struck and all 12 grapes are eaten. The New Year can’t start until everyone has finished his or her grapes!

It’s pretty hard to eat 12 grapes that fast, so a lot of people look like chipmunks. That gets everybody laughing and the New Year gets a cheerful start. This tradition began when after a particularly big grape harvest the king of Spain decided to give everybody grapes to eat on New Year’s Eve.

In Korea, children try to stay awake through the entire New Year’s eve night. They are afraid that if they fall asleep, their eyebrows will turn white! New Year’s day is celebrated with large family gatherings that include everyone from grandparents and cousins to great grandchildren…just about everybody! The children must bow to parents and elders and this can be quite a long process in a large family. When this custom has been dutifully fulfilled the children go outside to fly kites, spin tops and seesaw.

In Turkey, New Year’s Eve is spent with close family and friends. A special meal is shared. Many people go out to restaurants and nightclubs to celebrate. And like here, there are lots of special TV programs to watch at home.