If Greenville started its own annual drop for New Year’s Eve, what would it be?
It’s a safe bet a lot of y’all will be watching the ball drop in Times Square on TV, but a few other cities have made the tradition their own:
- Last year, Hendersonville had its first apple drop 🍎
- Locals + visitors gather in the streets of downtown Flagstaff, A.Z. for a pinecone drop
- 2016’s fleur-de-lis drop in New Orleans was featured on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
One tradition Greenville does have (being part of the South, after all) is the food: cornbread, black-eyed peas + collard greens supposedly bring luck in the new year. But do you know *why*? Cornbread symbolizes gold, collards ward off evil + bring good luck (some even tack them to the ceiling or above doors), and saving your black-eyed peas for leftovers on Jan. 1 is for frugality. Basically, you’re going to be rich and lucky if you follow Southern traditions.
In the freezing parts of the U.S. + Canada, people take a Polar Bear Plunge – participants jump into icy lakes on New Year’s day, usually to raise money for charity. (Paris Mountain will host their Polar Plunge on February 24.)
A few unusual-but-fun-sounding traditions from around the world:
- In Spain, if you can fit 12 grapes in your mouth, it means good luck in the new year
- Some South American countries wear colored underwear to attract certain things – white means peace, red means love
- We can definitely do this one: the French eat a stack of pancakes on NYE
If downtown had an outdoor event to count down the seconds like Times Square does, would you be down to go? We definitely would.
Until then – there are plenty of parties happening New Years’ Eve + GVL will shoot off fireworks when the clock strikes 12.
