After reading some of the really bizarre New Years Traditions that other countries have, I’ve come to the conclusion that we Americans really need to learn how to party! I mean, sure it’s cool watching a brightly colored ball drop while everyone throws confetti and screams “woohoo,” (it’s even more cool in person, I did it once and that was enough for a lifetime) but we could be jumping off chairs, eating grapes, and wearing funky underwear instead!  Here are a few fun, wacky, and in some cases, totally bizarre New Years traditions from around the world.

• Want to banish evil spirits in the New Year and prove you have the most friends? Then jump off a chair like the Danes and throw some dishes at your neighbor’s house. Better yet, hope they throw their fine china at yours! If you wake up with a ton of broken dishes at your door, you’re clearly a popular person.
• Hang with the dead Chile style! Grab your lawn chairs and head to the cemetery before midnight to ring in the New Year with those who have gone before us. I kind of like this tradition! I wouldn’t mind spending the New Year with my grandparents.
• Burn the past! What better way to say so-long to the past year than to burn pictures that somehow represent 2011? That’s what they do in Ecuador. Personally, I am way to superstitious to burn pictures of actual people, but I’m sure I could find some inanimate object photos that I don’t need to hold on to!
• Looking for love in the New Year? Wear red undies. If money is your wish, put on a pair of yellow ones. In Mexico, wearing bright colored underwear helps give you an edge in the quest to make your New Year dreams come true. I wonder if I can cover all the bases by just wearing multi-colored polka dot ones?
• Go ahead and make out in public! This one is ours, and definitely sounds the most fun. In America, to ensure that our New Year is filled with love and happiness, we kiss our significant others at the stroke of midnight. I don’t know about you, but this is definitely the one I’m most looking forward to!