All over the world, New Year’s Eve is a time specially marked by ceremonies, parties, fireworks, and old customs unique to particular countries. Here is only a small selection of them. If you paid attention to all of them, it would take you all year to get over it.

One old Irish custom is to open and close the front door at the last stroke of midnight allowing the “old” year out and the “new” year in. A Persian variant on this is to take a lighted candle out of the front door at the stroke of midnight, say ‘this is the last second of the last minute of the last hour of the last day of the old year, what time has worn must be renewed.’ Then blow it out, relight it, {as the forces of chaos swirl about you} and bring it back into the house, saying ‘this is the first second of the first minute of the first hour of the first day of the new year; what time has worn has been renewed.’

In Scotland, shortly after midnight people would pay a visit to their neighbours -- a practice called first-footing -- often bearing small gifts. It's considered especially lucky if your first guest of the new year is a tall, dark, and handsome man. The ancient Scottish song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ was revised with new verses by Robbie Burns, and is widely sung.

In Japan, it is said that they spend much of December holding "forget the year" parties, letting go of past problems and concerns, and even scrubbing their house clean. At midnight, temples strike 108 gongs, one for each of the human weaknesses. It is a good time to note and let go of difficulties and hurt feelings experienced during the old year.

In Greece, they serve Vassilopitta, a special cake baked with a silver or gold coin inside. It's considered lucky to get the piece with the hidden coin (assuming you don't accidentally eat it, that is!).

In the Phillipines, rumour has it that children jump up and down at midnight so that they'll grow tall in the new year. In Denmark, Danish kids jump off chairs at midnight, which is said to banish bad spirits and bring good luck.

In Central and South American countries like Brazil, Ecuador, and Venezuela, people buy brightly coloured underwear to wear on New Year’s eve. Red and yellow are especially popular colours. Yellow is thought to bring love, while red is supposed to bring money in the new year. White underwear is sometimes for peace.

Strangely, wearing yellow knickers inside out is supposed to bring luck.

There are also many New Year’s Day superstitions. To avoid bad luck in the coming year, don’t do any of the following on New Year’s Day:
* Don’t wear shoes with a hole in them - or financial problems will remain with you the entire year
* Don’t wear new clothes
* Don’t sweep the floor – or you’ll sweep a good friend away
* Don’t do laundry - throwing out water on this day is considered to be unlucky
* Don’t remove the ashes from the fire
* Don’t let the fire in the hearth go out
* Don't make deals - money made on New Year’s Day will bring bad luck
* Don’t carry debts over into the New Year
* Don’t pay bills on the first Monday of the New Year
* Don’t lend money on New Year’s Day or you will be lending all year

But it is good luck to clean the chimney, or to have the first visitor of the year (preferably a dark-haired man) bring a lump of coal to your home. However, beware if your first visitor is a red-haired woman or someone whose eyebrows grow together as this could bring bad luck.

While the Chinese New Year won’t arrive until 14 February 2010, there are similar superstitions. The entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day, but no sweeping or dusting should be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away.

There is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family away. Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out the back door. On the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, every door in the house, and even windows, have to be open to allow the old year to go out.

The first person one meets and the first words heard are significant as to what the fortunes would be for the entire year. It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-coloured birds or swallows.

So, however you celebrate your New Year’s Eve, or whatever superstitious precautions you take or scoff at, have a good one in 2010!