Grapes, cleaning and fireworks

New Year's traditions in other countries go well beyond resolutions

VALERIE HILL

GRAND RIVER LIFE Martha Benavides celebrates New Year's by decorating her house with items from her native Colombia.   GRAND RIVER LIFE Madeline Kulcke   Flag of Germany   Flag of Chile   Philip Walker, Grand River Life Isabel Cisterna (right) with her children, Moira Germann-Cisterna, 10, and Emilio Germann-Cisterna, 18 months.   GRAND RIVER LIFE Marlene Bone   Flag of Sri Lanka   Flag of Ukraine   DAVID McKINLEY, GRAND RIVER LIFE Esseleyne Bell (left) and Veronica Hercules are shown at the Kitchener Market.   SUBMITTED PHOTO Fiorella Benini   Flag of Guyana   Flag of Uruguay   Flag of Colombia   Flag of Ireland   Flag of Argentina   PETER LEE, GRAND RIVER LIFE Oscar Knopf

(Dec 31, 2005)

So tonight is New Year's Eve and you're busy scratching out a batch of resolutions for 2006. Oh wait. It's the same list as last year -- quit smoking, lose weight, show up for church once in a while. But this year, you're really gonna stick to it, right?

Maybe it would be easier to move to Uruguay where Jan. 1 is the beginning of a much-anticipated summer and days on the beach. Or perhaps you could start turfing out all that clutter as they do in Ukraine, preparing for a clean slate in 2006. And don't forget to party like a Chilean, eating grapes and beans, and sporting yellow underwear on New Year's Eve. The Record asked a number of local residents about New Year's in their home country and, in an amazing display of cultural diversity, here are their responses.

vhill@therecord.com

GUYANA

Esseleyne Bell came from Guyana 35 years ago and her best friend Veronica Hercules moved to New York in 1994. On Hercules' recent visit to Kitchener, the two reminisced about New Year's celebrations in their Caribbean culture.

Both agreed that in Guyana, New Year's is experienced on the streets where everyone gathers to share good cheer. Frankly, in Canada, it's simply too cold for such outings, the women said. There is also lots of visiting, exchanging of small gifts of cash, fruit cake and rum cake. "Our tradition is cook-up rice," said Bell. "It's rice, meat, beans and coconut milk."

Hercules describes "door-to-door" visits and a hearty carnival atmosphere. Those who prefer a more sedate celebration spend their time welcoming the new year in church.

URUGUAY

Kitchener's Fiorella Benini, who has been in Canada four years, says Uruguay does not really have a tradition of making New Year's resolutions, then adds that "Uruguayans are not very good at planning; that's actually one of the big differences that I found with Canadians."

Given her country is entering summer, the kids are out of school and everyone is anticipating a vacation.

"More people are concerned with having a good summer," said Benini "rather than starting the new year with a restrictive resolution."

COLOMBIA

Martha Benavides came to Kitchener from Colombia nearly four years ago, and she still can't get into the habit of making New Year's resolutions.

"There are so many traditions here (in Canada) that are odd for me," she said.

Of course, Canadians may be fascinated by what happens in her homeland as well. In Colombia, one New Year's tradition sees people walking around their block carrying empty suitcases, which promises much travel in the new year.

Eating 12 grapes ensures health for 12 months. Some people crack an egg into water; reading the resulting forms as an indicator of the future.

But New Year's, she said, is primarily about celebrating with family.

And being in Canada, so far from her family, is "very difficult. We are very attached."

IRELAND

Jack Holmes, who grew up in Belfast, said that Northern Ireland and Scotland have many similarities when it comes to New Year's celebrations.

To bring good luck to a household, the first one to cross the doorstep must be a stranger, but given everyone knew everyone else, this was a problem and often the "stranger" was simply a neighbour.

Everyone in the house would first leave, said Holmes, who now lives in Baden. Then the stranger would enter and greet the family returning to their home. Pieces of coal and fruitcake were exchanged; the coal came with a greeting: "Long may your chimney have smoke."

There was always a great deal of good cheer, and all the boats in the ship building yards would blast their horns at midnight.

An odd custom was to gather in the town square at the Albert Memorial clock tower and chuck bottles at the massive structure. "Obviously in a state of drunkenness," he said with a laugh.

As for resolutions, yes they made plenty "and broke them just as fast," Holmes said.

ARGENTINA

0scar Knopf, of Waterloo, came to Canada four decades ago from Argentina.

"Our traditions at home are very similar to those here in Canada," he said, pointing out that Argentina is also a multicultural nation, with a strong European influence.

Knopf said December in Argentina is summer, so celebrations take place outdoors, on patios and involve barbecues.

"You see," he said, "for once the turkeys got a break."

They also shoot off fireworks and make resolutions.

GERMANY

Tonight will be Madeline Kulcke's first New Year's Eve in Canada and she's looking forward to seeing how Kitchener fares compared to Germany. Kulcke, who immigrated to Canada two years ago, has returned home for the past two holiday periods.

"We actually make New Year's resolutions, but very few people stick to them," she said, citing promises such as "I want to quit smoking . . . only one sweet a week . . . I will stop eating meat."

She doesn't consider it a "very serious tradition."

New Year's Eve celebrations, however, take having fun seriously.

"Everybody brings food and drink to the party. We have it all set up buffet style," she said. "At midnight, everybody goes out on the streets; lots of people light fireworks; the skies in the bigger cities are very colourful."

The winter chill usually sends everyone racing back indoors within 30 minutes where the party continues.

As a teen, she said, it was exciting to predict the future with a game called Bleigiessen. Kits were purchased containing lead, to be melted over a candle and dropped into water. The resulting shapes would be interpreted by a chart included in the kit.

CHILE

Isabel Cisterna of Waterloo said her New Year's resolution is to be "less nostalgic."

Having immigrated from Chile 14 years ago, she "has been living with one foot here and one foot in Chile," feeling guilty for enjoying the freedoms of Canada.

Her other resolutions over the years have included losing 10 pounds, getting a driver's licence and gaining Canadian citizenship, all of which she has achieved.

In Chile, no one makes resolutions, and Cisterna speculates it's because of the instability of the country's political, economic and geographic forces. On any given day, there could be a volcanic eruption or a military coup so no one thinks too far ahead.

However, the New Year's Eve celebration is much anticipated, more so than Christmas, with parties and new outfits. Wearing yellow underwear means finding love in the new year, eating beans at midnight will bring prosperity and munching on grapes ensures health.

Marlene Bone, who immigrated to Waterloo from Chile a year ago, said that although making New Year's resolutions is not a tradition, people do set goals "and reflect on the year that has passed."

Of Canadians' continuing efforts to make big changes in their lives, she said, "I like this tradition. . . . It is a good moment to make decisions about changing things in each person's life."

Bone also suggested writing resolutions in a book, and re-reading the entries in years to come.

"My New Year's resolution this year is to do more exercise and improve my English," she said.

SRI LANKA

Bharini Sivakumar of Kitchener arrived from Sri Lanka in 1984 and remembers the reverential New Year's celebrations of her country. Families gathered, attended temple and placed items on the tables that held meanings -- flowers, cash, rice, spices. They all signified prosperity and health for the new year.

"We respect out elders on these days," she said, describing how families visited their senior members. As well, the elders gave

the young people gifts of cash, wrapped in bettel leaves. "It's symbolic," she said.

UKRAINE

Tatiana Kostour, who has been in Canada 12 years, still misses the elaborate celebrations of New Year's Eve in Ukraine.

By comparison, Canadian celebrations in Waterloo are subdued, she said.

For the two weeks leading up to the eve, everyone is obligated to finish up old projects and give the house a thorough cleaning. Then, on Dec. 31 everyone gathers for a big dinner followed by a visit to their town's core where huge and noisy celebrations are held.

New Year's resolutions are more about finishing the old year by cleaning the slate, she said.

"Everybody looks forward to the new year, to have a new beginning, to have new projects."