Ringing in 2021!
Celebrate the Season!
I hope you had a wonderful and festive holiday this year! It was nice having our kids home for a few days so we could celebrate Christmas together. To start off the holiday festivities, we had a visit from the jolly ole’ fellow himself…Santa Claus. He brought a few gifts in his bright green sack. Our grandson was happy to receive some shiny new Matchbox cars.
We also loved attending Christmas Eve candlelight service at our church. The message and music was so joyful. I love hearing Christmas carols during the holidays. The words are so beautiful and truly remind us of this festive season.
Although this holiday season was a bit different than in previous years, we were glad to be together! I hope your Christmas, Hanukkah or holiday was joyful and memorable as well.
Così Delizioso!!
Charlotte, NC Chef Debora, Rome, Italy
On December 26th we thought it would be fun to learn how to make Christmas tree shaped ravioli with Chef Debora. She came to us LIVE via Zoom from Rome, Italy. She is so bubbly and loves teaching others how to make traditional Italian cuisine! The 3-cheese mixture was tasty and the end result was a delicious pasta meal along with a Nutella puff pastry dessert. Her husband even serenaded us during our class! It was truly a memorable experience.
By the way, I have access to cooking classes all over the world. If you are interested, let me know! We can plan one featuring your favorite country!
When we recall Christmas past, we usually find the simplest things, not the great occasions, that give off the greatest glow of happiness. — Bob Hope
2021…We are ready for you!
XOOM Tours is excited for travel to take flight in the New Year (rubbing hands together excitedly)! We’ve been busy researching destinations, meeting with our travel partners and preparing for any happenings so we are ready to plan your next adventure.
Until then, here’s a look around our wonderful world at how other countries celebrate and ring in the New Year!
2021 – It’s game ON!
“The world is vast and meant for wandering. There is always somewhere to go.” — Nick Beard
Put your right foot forward!
During Scotland’s New Year’s Eve celebration of Hogmanay, “first-footing” is practiced across the country. The first person who crosses the threshold of a home in the New Year should carry a gift for luck. Friends and relatives are good choices to enter first – always on their right foot and never empty-handed. Scots also hold bonfire ceremonies where people parade while swinging giant fireballs on poles, supposedly symbols of the sun, to purify the coming year.
Watch out for flying dishes!
Residents of Denmark greet the New Year by throwing old plates and glasses against the doors of family and friends to banish bad spirits. They also stand on chairs and jump off of them together at midnight to “leap” into January with the hope of good luck.
A Mouthful of Grapes
In Spain it’s customary to eat 12 green grapes, one at each stroke of the midnight bell. It’s believed that each grape represents a month of good luck in the new year. It’s thought to be bad luck if you can’t eat them all by the final midnight chime. People gather in city plazas to eat grapes and drink Cava (Spanish sparkling wine).
Bopped with an onion
Onions symbolize rebirth in Greece and are hung on the door to symbolize the birth of a new year. Children are awakened on New Year’s Day by their parents tapping their head with the onion!
A Year of Travel!
Colombians carry empty suitcases around the block at midnight, with the hopes that the New Year will be filled with travel. This tradition is right up my alley! I am ready to adopt this one!
Oodles of Noodles!
Soba noodles are eaten just before midnight in Japan. The Toshikoshi noodle is a long buckwheat noodle; a rough translation of the noodle’s name is “year crossing noodle” and eating it before midnight symbolizes crossing from one year to the next. Chewing the soft noodles is thought to signify a letting go of any regrets from the old year and starting the new year fresh.
What’s your lucky shape?
In Finland, people throw molten metal into containers of water, and then interpret the shape of the metal to predict the future year. Hearts or circles (ring shape) predict a marriage, a pig shape predicts plentiful food, while a ship shape represents travel.
Lentils = Good Luck
Italians believe that lentils (lenticchie) symbolize luck and prosperity. After all, they look like money. They are frequently prepared with rich cuts of pork (cotechino) which represents the bounty of the land.
Round it is!
Filipinos believe that round things symbolize coins and will bring wealth during the new year. They celebrate by serving 12 round fruits such as apples, melons or oranges. Twelve grapes are eaten at midnight just like they do in Spain. Many people wear polka dots on New Year’s Eve.
A Brazilian tradition…
Brazilians wear New Year’s Underwear. The most popular colors are red, thought to ensure love in the new year while yellow is believed to bring wealth.
Looking forward to 2021!
Whether you are ringing in the New Year in some far-off distant land or at home with family and friends, you probably have a New Year’s tradition or two. Common traditions throughout the United States include singing “Auld Lang Syne” to greet the New Year and eating black-eyed peas for good luck.
What are your fun traditions? Let me know!
The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. Melody Beattie
I love taking pictures of my adventures. Click below to follow along on my social media.
As we look to 2021, take time to reflect on what your dreams are for the new year…what places and moments you want to experience and what memories you want to make.
As your travel advisor, I’m here to help you dream about your next adventure! I call it putting “HOPE on the calendar”! When you are ready, let me know! I personally can’t wait to travel to my next far off distant land to experience a new culture! These memories will forever be a part of my travel experiences!
