Christmas and the end of year holidays are days that bring with them various emotions: nostalgia for absences; joy for the simple act of meeting and celebrating; set goals and wish others the best; stress due to the organization of social gatherings, and finally, exhaustion at the end of them. However, there is always that feeling of happiness and enjoyment, but the time also comes to reflect, so, regarding this year that is ending and 2024 that is beginning, I give you some phrases from celebrities to reflect on the new year: We spent the January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, making a list of jobs to do, cracks to repair. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we need to walk through the rooms of our lives… Not looking for flaws, but for potential. (Ellen Goodman). Let the old go, let the new come, let the bells ring, through the snow; The year is leaving, let it go. Let the false go, let the true come. (Alfred, Lord Tennyson). A new heart for a new year, always! (Charles Dickens). We should live as many times as the trees, which after a bad year put out new leaves and start again. (Jose Luis Sampedro). Vitality is revealed not only in the ability to persist but also in the ability to start again. (Francis Scott Fitzgerald).
OF THE NETWORK. How is the advent of a new year celebrated in other countries? In Brazil, attention is drawn to the sea. People go to the beaches to see the fireworks, some dress in white or jump over seven waves because they associate it with a good omen, and they also throw flowers into the water while making a wish… In Mexico they sing and dance, They party until the wee hours of the morning, which they combine with some peculiar traditions. There are those who usually sweep the house that night so that from the next day only luck enters; Others claim that walking around at that time with a suitcase will encourage travel, and there are those who insist on wearing red underwear to find love… In Venezuela they strengthen ties of friendship with those around them. During the celebration they prepare the “hallaca”, a special dish that they give as a sign of good luck for the coming year. It is also customary to write wishes in a letter that, in January, each one burns to make sure that no one else can read it… In Colombia the protagonists are the omens, a series of popular “recipes” intended to charge the batteries with positive energy to the period that begins. Superstitions range from receiving midnight standing in order to have luck and health or slamming the door when the bells ring to ward off evil spirits, to first kissing a person of the opposite sex in the desire to obtain fortune… In France, the meeting place par excellence for the French is the Champs-Élysées. From the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, the famous avenue is packed with people ready to welcome the first day of the year with a good bottle of champagne. Those who stay at home have it easier to follow the tradition: at midnight you have to kiss and hug under a branch of mistletoe to get possessions… In Italy they begin the “notte di Capodanno” with a traditional dinner in which lentils are the essential dish if you want to achieve fortune. Many women receive red lingerie as a gift, which is supposed to bring them joy. In some places like Rome and Naples they usually throw old junk out the window: a way to put an end to the past and express the desire to start the next stage well.
IN CUBA, The arrival of a new year is always a reason for celebration. The night begins with different drinks such as mojitos, daiquiri, rum, or the traditional and preferred by most Cuban families, cold beer, increasing the joy with every passing minute. Even under current conditions, the arrival of 2024 is eagerly awaited by the majority of people, who are getting ready to celebrate in different ways and within their possibilities. On December 31, bad times, disappointments, and grudges are forgotten, congratulations are heard, and invitations are also made. The date becomes a unique moment to wish that the coming year is full of success and prosperity, the rest, of course, consists of enjoying with those who accompany us every day.
