New Year Traditions 2018: 35 Strange Practices You Probably Didn’t Know About [VIDEO]

One of the most notable things to do to ring in the New Year is to wait for the ball to drop in New York's Times Square. Each year thousands of people gather to stand in the freezing cold in Times Square to wait for a bedazzled jeweled ball to drop at the stroke of midnight. While we find this to be a normal celebration in bringing in the New Year, others may find it odd. However, this activity is very mild compared to other New Years celebrations around the world. Check out these top 35 strange and unique New Years traditions:

1. No Sweeping Or Dusting - This tradition comes from the idea that sweeping or dusting on New Year's day may lead to an individual sweeping their good luck away. So it's just best to leave your place dusty until Jan. 2.

2. Don't Eat Chicken - Say no to chicken on New Year’s Day. That means fried chicken, baked chicken, broiled, roasted or BBQ'd. Because if it is eaten then, like the birds in question, diners are fated to scratch in the dirt all year for their dinner meaning they'll be bringing poverty upon themselves.

3. Open Doors and Windows - It is said that opening doors and windows on New Years Day will bring in new beginnings and let out the old. So leave the doors and windows open to bring in the fresh air and fresh beginnings. However, if you're house is dusty from not sweeping or dusting you may want to leave the house as that fresh air could easily make your home an allergy attack waiting to happen.

4. Avoid Crying Cats - If you hear a cat meowing on New Year's Day go in the opposite direction. Sounds cruel right? Well that's because it is. If you truly feel bad just call animal control while walking in the opposite direction that way you avoid the bad omen and still do your good deed by helping the cat in question.

5. Lemons - During New Year's Eve and New Year's day, it is another old-fashioned tradition designed to keep that good energy flowing.

Check out these other 25 unique and strange New Year traditions around the world in the video below! You'll see some odd events like the Takanakuy Festival in Peru where villagers fist fight to settle differences, sweet coins in Bolivia where people bake coins into cakes and whoever finds it is said to have good fortune for the year and empty suitcases in Colombia where citizens carry around empty luggage to signify having a travel filled year.