Hanging Onions Outside The Door In Greece Onions are thought to increase fertility, and were seen as a sign of renewal and expansion in ancient Greece. Thus, Greeks hang onions on the door in the hope that they may experience personal renewal and growth in the New Year.
Greece: Hanging Onions
The Greeks believe that onions are a sign of rebirth, and so they hang the vegetable on their doors in order to promote growth throughout the new year.
On New Year's Eve, Greek families will hang an onion by the door and wake children up by putting the onion on their heads! The onion symbolizes growth and rebirth.
Onions are a Symbol of Rebirth
According to Greeks, this is the ultimate symbol of fertility and this is why the onion is always hung on a door in the household – to help the people in the household grow and experience a rebirth of their own in the coming year.
New Year's Eve Rituals
In Italy, a large part of the New Year's Eve celebration is letting go of the old year. So, on New Year's Eve, Italians will throw out old items as a symbolic gesture of letting go of the past. They will throw away old clothes, furniture, pots, and pans – out the window!
New Year's Eve is a big party in Holland every year. Most people spend the evening with friends or family, watch the famous 'New Year's Eve conferences' and drink plenty of champagne while eating greasy oliebollen (a traditional Dutch pastry: deep-fried dough balls with raisins) and apple beignets.
According to many other users who were already familiar with the concept of shower onions, keeping these veggies in your bathroom actually helps to neutralize any unwanted odors. That's because onions act as a natural deodorizer, meaning they can basically absorb smells, unpleasant and otherwise.
In Greek households, it is a common tradition on New Year's Eve to spray each other with holy water. This ritual is believed that sacred water grants protection from all evil spirits. Upon splashing each other, families often say things such as “good luck!”.
* Onions are mentioned in the Bible, in Numbers 11:5, by the children of Israel during the Exodus lamenting the lack of sweets: "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic." * In Egypt, onions were a source of worship.
It's a common superstition that opening the doors and windows will let the old year out, and the new year in unimpeded. Let's hope this old year goes out as quickly as possible, so you don't let all the warm air out with it.
In Spain, as midnight approaches, everyone's busy counting out twelve grapes a piece. You need to eat one of those twelve grapes with every strike of the bell at midnight. Everyone in Spain tunes into the coverage in Madrid, so everyone's eating their grapes together.
Ancestors will be served their favourite dishes as well as 'dishes with a meaning'. The reunion dinner, also known as Tuan Nian or Wei Lu, marks a family gathering on the Lunar New Year's Eve and the Chinese consider it to be the most important part of the celebration.
Hindu devotees believe that onions and garlic make it difficult to differentiate between desires and priorities since garlic is known as Rajogini - a substance believed to make one lose grip over their instincts while onions produce heat in the body.
As per Ayurveda, both these ingredients produce excessive heat in the body. It is true that our body needs some heat, but excessive heat may increase the risk of other health problems. Ayurveda recommends having onion and garlic in low quantity.
The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties onions contain make consuming onions great for your heart health.
Many people in Turkey start celebrating New Year's Eve with a large family dinner. The main course is traditionally a roasted turkey. Variety shows on television begin in late afternoon and continue until early morning of the next day. Many people play games while waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
New Year's Eve parties in Germany usually include buffets or fingerfood. Smaller groups might sit around a table for hours, enjoying typical New Year's Eve fare like fondue or raclette, a popular cheese-based dish originally from Switzerland.
The most popular event for New Year's Eve in Rome is typically the huge concert and show in Circus Maximus. The concert this year, called "Rome Restarts 2023" will begin at 9:30 PM. The events on this page are updated for 2022/2023. All information is accurate and up to date as of this time.
When you shower, body oils, dead skin, and daily grime is washed off of you and goes down the drain. If it becomes trapped in the bends of the pipes, bacteria and fungus can start to grow causing a very onion-like smell that can become worse as you continue to take showers or use the drain.
Consuming onion water eases the digestion process. It is rich in fiber, which helps in the mechanism of healthy bowel movement. Onion is low in calories and increases the metabolic rate of the body, which further helps in managing diabetes symptoms. When consumed in moderation, it helps in managing blood sugar levels.
Damp Paper Towel
While slicing, onions release a chemical that look for a water source. In most cases, the closest water source is your eyes! Placing a damp paper towel next to your onion will redirect the chemicals to travel there instead of traveling to your eyes.
On this specific day, the Danes like to make a lot of noise. Firecrackers, poppers, fireworks, bullhorns and champagne bottles popping. If it's noisy, it's welcome to join the New Year's table. This tradition stems from back in the days when farmers thought that noise would scare off evil spirits.
Pickled herring, a small oily fish, is often served at New Year's Eve smorgasbords. Herring has been a standard Scandinavian, Dutch and Northern European dish since the Middle Ages, due in part to its abundance—which it has become symbolic of, making it a popular, lucky New Year tradition.
Like many other cultures, the Pennsylvania Dutch believe eating pork on New Year's Day brings good luck because pigs root around with their snouts in a forward motion. After all, we want to move forward, not backward, in the new year. Sauerkraut is made from cabbage — a symbol of money because it's leafy and green.
Jains accept such violence only in as much as it is indispensable for human survival, and there are special instructions for preventing unnecessary violence against plants. Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, roots and tubers, as they are considered ananthkay.