- Global Voices Community Blog - https://community.globalvoices.org -

Ringing in 2016 with Global Voices Contributors

· Written by Amira Al Hussaini

Categories: Writing Tips
Sydney Harbour as seen from Lavender Bay, North Sydney - during New Year's Eve celebrations in 2015/2016. Photograph by Rezwan, shared on flickr, used under CC BY-NC-ND [1]

Australia: Sydney Harbour as seen from Lavender Bay, North Sydney – during New Year's Eve celebrations in 2015/2016. Photograph by Rezwan, shared on flickr, used under CC BY-NC-ND

Our installment of weekly tips for the first week of January was all about using photographs in posts [2]. The idea was to get photographs from across the GV community and together write a photo post on how New Year's eve is marked where you are.

A big thank you Rezwan [3], our Bangla Lingua site translation coordinator, for submitting the first photograph!

Rezwan's photograph beautifully captures fireworks in Sydney to ring in the New Year. He explains:

Framed by the glittering cityscape and the fireworks perfectly reflected by the harbour below, there’s no New Year’s Eve celebration quite like Sydney.

Check out more of Rezwan's great photographs as he travels the world on his Flickr [4] account.

And here's another photograph from Rezwan of New Year's celebrations in Sydney as an extra treat, this time from Instagram:

The first round of new year celebrations [5]

A photo posted by Rezwan (@rezwanbd) on

Elsewhere in GV world, our news editor Lauren Finch [6] shared this New Year's custom from Spain on Global Voices’ Instagram account:

It's a Spanish tradition to eat 12 grapes when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's — one grape with every chime. Eating them will bring you good luck in the year to come, or at least help line the pockets of the country's grape growers. In fact, the tradition reportedly became popular in this land of wine over a century ago during a particularly bountiful grape harvest, with growers promoting it to sell more of their stock. You can either eat fresh grapes or knock back already peeled grapes sold in a tin. I'll opt for the fresh. Feliz año nuevo!#dayinthelifeofGV #instaGV #Spain #España #culture #travel #NewYear [7]

A photo posted by Global Voices (@globalvoicesonline) on

For more fascinating photographs and insights from around the world, check out GV's Instagram account [8], where a different community member shares photographs from their week with the public.

Last but not least, Chilean Elizabeth [9] describes Chile's traditions in celebrating New Year's Eve, which also include eating grapes.

She says:

We usually celebrate with friends and family. We have dinner and then get ready to do the countdown together. There are many traditions when the New Year arrives. First, you have to eat a grape with each bell marking 12 o'clock. Each grape symbolizes a wish for the year. After the hugs, we toast with champagne. The glass must have a gold ring in it (of course, you should be careful not to swallow it) to symbolize prosperity. Then we all go out of the house and cross the street with suitcases (it's funny to see all your neighbors doing so) to ask for trips. And lastly, you throw some water at the entrance and sweep away it to protect the house from envy.

And on Twitter, she shares her New Year's Eve meal, which included sumptuous paella and lots of Chilean wine!

Paella and Chilean wine at friends' dinner table in Santiago, Chile. Photograph shared by @elicitizen on Twitter [10]

Paella and Chilean wine at friends’ dinner table in Santiago, Chile. Photograph shared by @elicitizen on Twitter

Here's to a fantastic 2016! Stay tuned for next week's weekly tips!