Very exotic New Year celebrations are held in Australia. Due to the lack of snow, trees, deer and other attributes of the usual holiday Santa Claus appears in a swimming suit on special brightly decorated surfing on the beaches of Sydney. Moreover, following the tradition of the Old World, his clothes are always presented with white beard and a red hat with pompons at the end.

On New Year's Eve large companies attend various public places in the open air, where there is salute. A feature of the Australian New Year celebration is the practical absence of walking after midnight. Australians wake up at 5-6 am and go to visit friends at weekends or holidays, and go to bed no later than ten o'clock. So Christmas midnight itself is an exception. But at all people are in bed.

In Austria, people on New Year's Eve in Vienna go to the cathedral of St. Stephen. On December 31, thousands of people gather at Cathedral Square. In the old days the same in this country was considered a good omen to meet a chimney sweep, to touch him and get dirty. It was believed that it brings good fortune and luck. In Austria, on New Year's decided to give porcelain or glass pigs, often in the form of a piggy bank. According to local customs, such pigs must necessarily bring wealth to whom they donated.

In Argentina, according to a long tradition of serving institutions in the last day of the working year thrown from the windows of the old calendars, unnecessary statements and forms. In the business part of the country - Buenos Aires - by noon the sidewalks and roadway densely covered with plump layer of paper. No one knows how and when did this custom. Not without incidents. Once excessively flared staff of a newspaper thrown out the window the entire archive.

Burma's Lunar New Year falls on the hottest time of his parish celebrated the festival of water. The spectacle must say, most amusing: people at the meeting poured water on each other from different dishes. But pouring water not to offend anyone, because this ritual - a kind of wish for happiness in the New Year.

In Bulgaria, New Year's Eve acquires Kizilova sticks - an indispensable attribute of the New Year holiday. Jan. children, going to the family and friends, flipping sticks, congratulates. With the last kick of hours passing year in all the houses for 3 minutes the lights are: this minute Christmas kisses that replace toast. Bulgarians are happy if the table someone sneezes. They say it brings good luck.

A strange mixture of Indian rituals and African beliefs with a European flair turned Brazilian New Year ritual of unrestrained carnival and traditional worship of ancient gods. While on the beach of Copacabana almost a million viewers watching the magical transformation of lights, take off into the sky with a specially installed in the sea rafts in Laguna de Freitas is the highest in the world floating tree height of 82 m is illuminated by the lights of fireworks on the background of no less famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, who stretched out his right hand, blessing the magnificent city. In addition, the New Year's Eve in Brazil on an ocean beach to sunbathe on the sand thousands of candles. Women in long dresses go into the water and throw flower petals into the waves of the ocean surf.

Gathered in the celebration, young men and women in Poland is not in a hurry to come to the table: the fun that night - guess! Under the tablecloth put a tuft of hay, and all the girls are randomly pulled out of a stalk. The one who will fall the longest stem, before all this year to marry. Stem of a resilient but not unbreakable, flexible - the husband will be flexible, calm. Hard, brittle - the girl will have to humble his character, to live in harmony with her husband! Entering the house all take off their shoes, and someone from the audience quietly rearranges boots and shoes, trying to confuse the pair. Whose were close - and so to marry next year. Whose closer to the door - to marry the first..

In Sweden, the New Year's Eve decided to give each other homemade candles as light is a symbol of joy and fun. Swedish Pope sent out the garbage, and returned in the form of the local Santa Claus, which in Sweden is called Yul Tomte. But to the Icelandic kids Santa Claus can look every day from 1 to 24 December. Knowing this, many try to behave, because they know that they can find in your holiday stocking the usual raw potato instead of a gift.