Nikita Dikshit 
Making rice cakes is a Japanese tradition that is frequently done to make rice cakes (Mochi) at New Year. Glutinous rice becomes mochi after it is steamed and pounded with a Kine and Usu. First of all, place steamed rice into a wooden pestle. Next, it is Dad’s turn. Dad grabs the Kine which is made of wood and shaped like a big … Read more
If you were in China for New Year’s Day, you would see many kinds of paper cuttings on every family’s windows. Paper cuttings are one of the most popular folk arts in China. They are properly framed or simply pasted onto the windows. Traditionally, they were only made of red paper. Most elderly women would … Read more
Read how one Vietnamese family celebrates New Year’s in a uniquely Vietnamese way—preparing and eating traditional foods, observing special traditions, watching fireworks and a dragon dance, and sharing good times with family members. Spring is coming, the period of time to which I always aspire. It means that the New Year is also coming soon. … Read more
I thought originally that I would have a lonely Spring Festival in the U.S. this year, but afterward I knew I was wrong. Instead of it, Shelly and I had a very happy and busy holiday. It is the right time for our Chinese New Year Eve on Friday. My friend Shelly and I were … Read more
It’s a hot day in Argentina, Buenos Airs. We are in summer. Everyone is happy because we are going to start another year. My grandmother told me we are going to have my favorite food for dinner: a salad with crayfish, turkey with potato cream and dulce de leche ice cream for dessert—our special food for New … Read more
Readers from Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Venezuela share their resolutions. One of my resolutions for next year will be to save enough money for my son’s education. I’d like to have less stress in my life and dedicate more time to my family. To show … Read more
Around the globe, countries have special or unusual New Year’s customs. Some customs are shared; others vary from country to country. Some are amusing, such as the Thai custom of throwing water on people; and many are intended to bring good luck during the new year ahead, such as the Spanish custom of eating 12 … Read more
In Western Samoa, there’s a big festival called The Teuila Festival. It is one of the biggest events in the country, and it goes on for two weeks. During the festival you can see a lot of different colors of costumes from each different group. Lots of entertainment happens during this festival. The most exciting … Read more
Carnival in Venezuela is celebrated during the month of February, forty days before Good Friday. Carnival has existed in Venezuela since the colonial period. It was first celebrated only in Caracas. Today, however, it is also celebrated in coastal towns and other places, especially in El Callao, a small mining town. El Callao was founded in … Read more
In my country, we have five days to enjoy Carnival. We always go to the beaches, but we have a special beach called La Chimana where we like to go to celebrate during Carnival. The special thing about our Carnival is that we celebrate with a lot of balloons. But maybe you will ask me, “Why balloons?” … Read more