Ever wondered about the diverse ways New Year's Eve could be celebrated around the world? Well, a global poll has come up with the world's most bizarre New Year's Eve customs, Indo-Asian News Service reported.
Topping the list is a city in central Chile which has local gatherers come out each New Year's Eve to welcome the coming year in the company of dead relatives in a town cemetery. The poll was conducted by Badoo, an online social networking platform for meeting new people. In Talca in central Chile, hanging out in the graveyard is a custom on each New Year's Eve, a statement said.
According to IANS, the second most bizarre custom is found in Romania, where people try to hear animals talking. Ireland grabbed the third spot with the custom of people banging bread on the walls to dispel evil spirits. South Africa takes the fourth spot by flinging furniture out the window, a statement said.
At fifth spot is a Siberian custom which demands a person dive into a frozen lake, carrying a tree.
As many as 7,200 users online across 18 countries - 400 per country - were polled in November and December for the findings, IANS reported.
The U.S., Britain, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic, Russia and Poland were the 18 countries that were polled.
Here's the list of 10 strangest customs revealed in the poll:
1. Gathering in a graveyard to be with dead relatives (Talca, Chile)
2. Trying to hear animals talking; if you fail, it's good luck (Romania)
3. Banging bread on the walls to frighten away bad spirits (Ireland)
4. Throwing furniture out the window (Johannesburg, South Africa)
5. Diving into a frozen lake, carrying a tree (Siberia)
6. A "possum drop": lowering a possum over a noisy crowd (North Carolina, US)
7. A village punch-up with neighbors to settle old disputes (Peru)
8. Parading the street while swinging balls of fire over your head (Scotland)
9. Watching an old British TV comedy sketch about a lonely dinner (Germany)
10. A giant, three-day water-fight, with water balloons and buckets (Thailand)
According to Reuters, these are someNew Year's customs that are the "most fun":
1. A mass kiss, or "kiss-in" in a Venice piazza (Italy)
2. Wearing red underwear for good luck (Spain, Italy, Mexico)
3. A giant, three-day water-fight, with water balloons and buckets (Thailand)
4. Throwing furniture out the window (Johannesburg, South Africa)
5. A village punch-up with neighbors to settle old disputes (Peru)
6. Making homemade cannons from heated milk jugs with tight lids (Netherlands)
