HAPPY NEW YEAR

Around the world, the arrival of new year is celebrated in different ways. Read about some of them below, then try these recipes to celebrate the end of the old, and the start of the new!

• Orange shortbread – a tasty Scottish treat
• Biscuits – try spicing them up for Chinese New Year
• Honey cake – perfect for Rosh Hashanah
• Or go to Recipes section for more ideas

Hogmanay, Scotland, New year’s Eve

• Hogmanay parties end in a countdown to midnight and the song, Auld Lang Syne.
• A warm welcome for friends, family and strangers alike is important and, of course, a kiss at the stroke of midnight.
• 'First Footing' is an ancient tradition which is still carried out today. To ensure good luck, the first person of the New Year to enter your house must be a dark man carrying a lump of coal, a black bun, shortbread, salt and malt whisky.

Chinese New Year, late January or early February.

• On New Year’s Eve, houses are brightly lit and doors and windows are sealed to keep in good luck.
• People take a long bath because washing on New Year’s Day is thought to wash away good fortune.
• Fireworks and firecrackers scare away evil spirits.
• On New Year's Day, Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place. Married couples give children money in red envelopes. Doors are decorated with ‘red couplets’,Chinese sayings written on red paper, often with gold trimmings, asking for luck, long life and wealth.

Rosh Hashanah, September or October

• The Jewish New Year festival celebrates the creation of the world
• A judgement day where Jews believe that God looks at each person’s actions and behaviour, both good and bad, over the past year and decides what kind of year is in store for them.

Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah at home as well as in the Synagogue. With the emphasis on sweetness, traditional foods are apples dipped in honey, a sweet carrot stew called tzimmes and a round Hallah bread (instead of the plaited loaf eaten on the Sabbath) to symbolise the circle of life

Diwali, October or November

• An Indian celebration followed by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.
• Celebrates both the New Year and the harvest, also known as the festival of lights.
• Diwali comes from the Sanskrit ‘dipavali’ meaning ‘row of little lights’.
• Light is a big feature. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, needs light to guide her to people’s homes to give good fortune and wealth. Oil lamps, called diwas, are lit and placed around the open doors and windows of houses. Fireworks are also a big part of the celebrations.

Topics for 11-14 year olds

• Curriculum relevance for 11-14 year olds