As the big ball drops in New York at the chime of midnight and fireworks light up the sky, people gather to welcome the start of the new year. Though this celebration of the new year is done worldwide, individual celebrations branch off into more unique cultural and personal traditions, each weaving its narrative of heritage, beliefs, and cherished moments within the tapestry of global revelry.
Clark students are part of this interwoven tapestry as they each celebrate the holiday in different ways, honoring traditions deviating from the norm, and starting unorthodox traditions and resolutions.
In many cases, numerous households celebrate with the preparation of food. Cooking has been a major factor in bringing us together since the beginning of cultures. It’s often referred to as a universal language, and many cultures, stemming from different backgrounds or religions, take pride in their recipes.
Freshman Angelina Emam, who comes from a line of Egyptian slave and royal descent, celebrates the new year with preparations of cabbage leaves: cabbage stuffed with ground meat, rice, greens, and vegetables, to symbolize her royal ancestry. Many Armenians would find this dish familiar, as it’s an almost uncanny twin dish to the Armenian Dolma. Though many of us think our dishes are really unique, we come to realize that we are pretty alike in many ways.
Emam and her family not only prepare the dishes they produce but also their home and themselves for the upcoming year. They start by taking a shower where everything is cautiously cleaned and ready for the upcoming year. They use masks, specifically honey masks, reminiscent of the pharaohs, to “usher in a new, clean, and healthy year,” Emam said.
Sophomore Izabella Murzynowski, who is of Polish and Hispanic descent, celebrates with the Spanish tradition of twelve grapes in a cup. A grape is eaten at each of the twelve chimes of the clock striking midnight, marking the beginning of the new year. Every grape eaten is representative of the month’s closure and serves as a way to start the year fresh. “It’s a beautiful way for us to mark the passage of time and embrace the fresh start of another year,” Murzynowski said.
Sophomore Savannah Newman takes a more modern approach to tradition by going with her mom to IHOP at the start of every year. “It’s been a family tradition of ours since we got to Glendale when I was in second grade,” Newman said. During their breakfast meal, they put their yearly goals down on paper and see what they accomplished in the past year.
Emam’s cabbage leaf preparations, Murzynowski’s twelve grapes tradition, and Newman’s annual IHOP celebration contribute a rich and flavorful dimension to the festivities but aren’t the only festivities. Celebrations aren’t just about the food; they carry deep-rooted meanings, connecting generations and cultures.
Tradition within the new year cascades well past just the food, and seeps into every aspect of the meticulous preparation for the holiday. Senior Ernest San Miguel and his family practice many Filipino traditions, starting with wearing polka dots, as the roundness symbolizes wealth. To begin the celebrations they prepare the house, along with themselves, by turning on all the lights in the house to brightly transition into the new year. To bring wealth to the family, they also put bundles of money in their pockets and into bowls of uncooked rice to represent the abundance of both food and wealth. When the clock strikes midnight they jump, to represent jumping into the new year.
Ultimately, the beauty of these traditions lies not just in their diversity but in their power to unite families and communities. Whether it’s the homage to ancestry or the moments of reflection and goal-setting over breakfast, these practices bring people closer, fostering love and togetherness as they step into the new year.
No matter how people celebrate, the New Year is an opportunity for groups of all backgrounds to reset and rehabilitate. From Emam’s dual homage to her Egyptian heritage through cabbage leaves and cleanliness to Savannah’s IHOP tradition intertwining family and reflection, these unique practices bring family and friends together to start the new year surrounded by the people we love.
