A sample of Estonian cuisine during a festival.The New Year is often imagined as a single moment -— glasses raised, balloons and confetti, hugs and kisses, “Auld Lang Syne,” fireworks flaring and a countdown shouted into the dawn of a new calendar. Across oceans and cultures, the turning of the year is shaped by rituals and gestures passed down through generations.

Luck is swallowed, rung away, broken, scattered, or shared, depending on where midnight finds you. Let’s visit 13 countries – an ambivalent number – and see how they welcome 2026:

Argentina

Pink underwear is worn for love — a hopeful gesture for many! Others run around their homes or blocks carrying empty suitcases, with the belief it will ensure travel in the coming year. In business districts, shredded documents are tossed from windows — a symbolic release of the old year’s burdens. As night deepens, the streets fill with parties, music, dancing, and spontaneous celebrations which stretch all the way till morning.

Australia

One of the first nations to greet the New Year, their celebrations are usually done outdoors — beach parties for the more adventurous, while families opt to gather together for backyard barbecues. Most importantly, when the clock strikes midnight, the country pauses to witness the fabulous fireworks over Sydney Harbor, as it heralds the beginning of another year for the continent.

Brazil

Along the many coasts, crowds dressed in white gather by the seashore, waves lit by fireworks overhead. Afro-Brazilian traditions honor the goddess Yemanjá. At midnight, seven waves are jumped over, each leap paired with a wish.