Global Good Luck Traditions for the New Year

After last NYE I became interested in good luck traditions after my Latin sister in law and her family introduced me to eating 12 grapes at midnight to bring good luck for the 12 months to come. I can definitely say that a couple of my grapes were far more sweet than the others but all in all a satisfactory year. Here are a few other traditions I came across from a random site: 

• Austria: Green peppermint ice-cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover for dessert.
• Brazil: Lentil soup on the first day of the new year because lentils are believed to signify wealth.
• Denmark: You would be happy to find a pile of broken dishes outside your house because people save their old dishes to break outside their friends' doors. 
• China: Every front door is painted red. 
• Germany: People leave a bit of every food on their plate until after midnight to ensure a well-stocked larder. 
• Vietnam: Preparations are made in advance by cleaning the house, polishing silverware and pay off all debts. Smart people. 
• Wales: Opening the back door and shutting it at the first stroke of midnight to release the old year and it's bad luck, then opening the front door on the twelfth stroke to welcome the new year and it's good luck. 
• Sicily: Eating lasagna, but avoiding all other noodles because they will bring bad luck. 
• Spain: Eating 12 grapes, one with every stroke of the clock for every month of the new year. 
• Peru: Eating a 13th grape to ensure good luck, I don't know about this one... 13?
• Rome: Festivities for three days then exchanging gifts such as honey to ensure sweetness and peace, money for prosperity and lamps for a year filled with light. 
• Thailand: Throwing water on one another to bring good rains during the coming year.
• USA: A masked ball and a kiss at the stroke of midnight with the mask symbolizing evil spirits from the old year and a kiss for the purification into the new year. 
• Norway: Indulging in rice pudding where one serving has an almond within. Guaranteed wealth goes to the person who has that lucky almond.

I wish you all good luck for the coming year, and I hope you are able to celebrate this night in the fashion that brings you most happiness!