Depending on whether the lunar or solar calendar is followed, the date of the new year may vary, but not the traditions!

Going, going, gong!

Just before midnight in Japan, families gather at the local temple and enjoy a glass of saké. At midnight a gong is struck is 108 times, a ritual believed to chase away all the negative thoughts accumulated over the past year.

Chinese New Year

Chinese from Hong Kong to Shanghai write their name and a wish on a piece of paper which they slip into an envelope and hang on a Wishing Tree. Observed around the world at the end of January or beginning of February, the Chinese New Year festivities include fireworks and colorful parades.