Special Events and Traditions in Popular Cities Worldwide
New Year's Eve is the best time of the year and it is never too early to think about where and with whom you want to celebrate the new year!
If you want to have more fun and enjoy a really special event, you have to celebrate New Year's Eve in a different country. Plan this event now and read insider tips from the international staff of HostelsClub.com about the special events and traditions in popular cities worldwide.
New Year's Eve in Amsterdam
Holland welcomes the New Year with fireworks: the best place to stay is the Damm Square, where you will find thousands of locals and tourists together drinking champagne. It is a nice place with live music. HostelsClub’s Claire says that typical snack in the New Year night is Diebollen, a delicious sweet baked dumpling. Usually everyone hangs out at the square until midnight and afterwards parties at one of the many clubs and bars of Amsterdam. You should think about booking at the club before, since most clubs are fully booked. If you are looking for a different experience, go to Amsterdam’s Chinatown, which is near Southern Church, and enjoy the most spectacular (and illegal) firework games!
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
New Year's Eve in Athens
If you are looking for mild weather during New Year’s, come to Athens and especially to Athenstyle Hostel. Sophie is preparing a New Year’s party on the terrace with a fantastic view of the Acropolis. Usually the family or friends meet each other for a special dinner to eat vassilopita, the New Year's cake, baked with one coin inside. He who bites the coin is said to have a happy upcoming year. Afterwards everybody goes outside to enjoy the free concerts and fireworks at midnight at Syntagma Square, Kotzia Square and Klafthmonos Square.
Ευτυχισμένο το Νέο Έτος!
New Year's Eve in Berlin
“If you plan to visit Berlin in the winter, be sure to celebrate the New Year in Berlin! It is “the biggest open-air party in the world,” says Veronika. On the night of December 31st, the Brandenburg Gate is the place to stay and you will be able to celebrate with more than a million people who come to Berlin to celebrate New Year’s together. Enjoy live music, fireworks and many booths with food and drinks: the Berlin New Year's Eve Party lasts until the wee hours of the next morning. It is one of the best events with several stages and dance floors, laser and light shows and an official countdown at midnight with great firework displays. Do not miss it: even if the official program on the main stage starts at 6:30 p.m., come as early as you want to get better seats and get ready for a long party night outside. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and warm clothes with extra layers. Enjoy!
Frohes Neues Yaer!
New Years Eve in New York
The New Year celebration in New York City is for people who really like to celebrate with the rest of the world. Times Square is the most exciting destination in the world on December 31st since the famous ball drop is a tradition since 1906. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people descend upon NYC and Times Square to experience this free and memorable New Year's Eve party. Times Square is amazing with fireworks, confetti, video screens on every corner and great energy. While it can get chilly, the thousands of people and champagne will warm you up, but be sure to put on layers as the temperature can get very cold. Due to the crazy amounts of people, Bianca advises to bring to bring snacks as getting out of that crowd or finding a restaurant in that area can be tough on that night, but rest assured that drinks and parties will be ample! Afterwards, shoot down to the Village to get an eclectic feel of the city and its many trendy mixology bars or head out to the meat packing district if you’re ready to dance until 6am!
Happy New Year!
New Year's Eve in Madrid
Merce suggests two possibilities for the celebration of New Year's Eve in Madrid. If you like a big party and want to see thousands of people, go to the Puerta del Sol to celebrate with the 12 chimes at midnight in Madrid's main square. Afterwards party lovers go to a private party or bar or a club. Or, if you prefer to be relaxed, you can book a dinner at a restaurant where you can dine and have the party included. Usually you have to book in advance and it is always a package deal to be all included in a fixed price. New Year's Eve involves the tradition, and unique to Spain, there is the eating of 12 grapes at the same time of the 12 chimes of the clock at midnight. They invented the ritual of eating 12 grapes to bring in the New Year, a tradition which is still thriving all over Spain today.
Feliz año nuevo!
New Year's Eve in Moscow
In Moscow they celebrate New Year’s at the Red Square. Think about dressing warmly because it is cold there, says Ekaterina. Actually it is a non-alcoholic party, though, because it is forbidden to bring alcoholic drinks, but everybody will already be drunk there (don’t worry) as Russians will manage to smuggle it in! Traditionally, Russians celebrate New Year’s at home with dinner, the old Christmas Tree and an exchange of gifts shortly before 12 a.m. Then they all go on the street with bottles of champagne and start the fireworks. The most important thing is to drink a glass of champagne and to make a wish at midnight during the ringing of the twelve bells of the Kremlin's Spassky Tower.
S novym godom!
New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro
It’s a completely different feeling you get when you celebrate New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro. It is the middle of the summer there and you can celebrate it on the beach! If you like to party, you have to be at the New Year's Eve beach parties in Copacabana and Ipanema . There you will celebrate with approximately 2.5 million people and enjoy huge fireworks that shoot from the water towards the beach and from the buildings overhead! If you are coming for New Year's Eve you must learn some of the traditions. The first one is that people wear all white for the party. This is considered the lucky color, so deal with it even if you don't think you look good in white. Black is not the right color to wear, no matter how fashionable it may be. A lot of people bring flowers, and throw them in the sea before midnight in honor of Yemanja. Bring a bottle of champagne to pop at midnight and share with the dancing, fun-loving friends on the beach. Some people shake the bottle and spray it around and nobody will complain - it's also considered good luck!
Feliz ano novo!
New Year’s Eve in Sydney
The celebration of New Year’s in Sydney is a mostly famous event in Australia. Sydney’s New Year's Eve is internationally renowned as a visually spectacular event and you have to be at the Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, says Loren. In Sydney you will enjoy the city's warm summer weather and over 80,000 fireworks from the Sydney Harbour Bridge along the Sydney Harbour for 6 kilometers. The event can be seen from a 16km radius around Sydney and attracts an average of 300,000 international tourists each year. If you want to enjoy it, you have to plan your night! Do not bring glass bottles and put on plenty of sunscreen for during the day yet clothing for cooler weather later in the evening and enjoy!
Happy New Year!
New Year’s in Tokyo
New Year in Japan is the most important family celebration, most companies even get off work until January 3rd according to HostelsClub’s Mariko. Traditionally everybody is up for watching the TV music show 'kohaku uta gassen' and young people go to clubs and have fireworks and party in a European way. At midnight on December 31 all Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief, and to get rid of the 108 worldly desires causing a deep sense and feeling in every Japanese citizen and over 3000 balloons with wishes float in the air. Japanese believe that the celebration of first day of the new year provides a very fresh start and paying special attention to the first time something is done in the new year. The most important thing on January 1st is hatsuhinode (初日の出) ,the first sunrise of the year, and some people drive to the coast or climb a mountain to see the first sunrise of the new year.
あけまし て おめでとう Akemashite omedetou!
New Year's Eve in Vienna
You cannot imagine New Year's Eve celebration in Vienna without the obligatory New Year's waltz, says Volker. On the night of December 31st, you have go to St. Stephen's square where you will get a glass of champagne and wait for the Pummerin, the original church bell of St. Stephen's cathedral. The Pummerin sounds on only a few special occasions such as at the beginning of the New Year, and everybody has to take the nearest person and dance the Viennese waltzes of Johann Strauss. The whole historic city becomes a ballroom. Fireworks, treats and thirst-quenching punch – and everything is perfect for the celebration! If you are fit, you can celebrate the whole night as they remain for a hangover breakfast at the town hall square, where the cafés open from 7 clock in the morning!
Frohes News Jahr!
That's all, now it's up to you...where would you like to be for the next new year's eve?
Plan your stay
Latest posts
7 hidden beaches in Sicily that have not yet been discovered by tourists
These are some of the beautiful Sicilian beaches that have not yet been fully discovered by tourists. It’s time to visit them! read more
How to start uploading travel videos on tik tok
A brief guide to upload good travel content on Tik Tok read more
10 beautiful medieval walled towns in Italy to see in one day
Would you hop on a tour around medieval italian walled towns? Surely yes, huh? read more
The 8 cheapest and most beautiful cities in Europe to visit
If you're planning to travel in Europe on a budget, this fascinating guide on the 8 cheapest cities in Europe will be of great help! read more
What to see in Bruges: the city that looks like something out of a fairy tale
A weekend getaway to Bruges, the “Venice of the North”. read more
The Algarve in September - where to go and what to see
Just because you couldn't make it to the Algarve in August doesn't mean you can't go anymore! Here's a secret: temperatures around 30ºC are expected during the month of September! read more