New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year. It’s a celebration that brings people together to enjoy all the potential that a new year offers.
And it’s not too far away either!
Soon, people from around the world will be relishing the new year with fireworks, festivals, friends, parties, and songs. It’s a fun holiday that knows no nationality.
Picking your next destination isn’t easy and since December is the month of festive spirit and celebration across the world, that’s why we are introducing our top ten best places in the EMEA Region to go spend the perfect Christmas and New Year Vacation.
1. The One and Only – Beirut, Lebanon
No one does New Year’s Eve like us!
Beirut was ranked on National Geographic’s top 10 New Year’s Eve celebrations listing.
Lebanon offers many options and ideas on how to spend the last night of the year.

The holiday season as a whole holds a special place in the hearts of the Lebanese. It is a time when many families living abroad join their loved ones, and when the streets are vibrant.
2.London, UK

Visit the capital and hear the famous ‘bongs’ of Big Ben when the clock strikes midnight, followed by a huge firework display over the River Thames. The fireworks can be seen from rooftops and balconies all across London, so you don’t need to leave your hotel to get a good view. If you want to get out there and really experience the display, the best views are from Westminster Bridge and the north embankment of the River Thames (opposite the London Eye).

Britain relies on socks hanging on the chimney mantel awaiting Santa Claus’ arrival to place Christmas presents inside the socks. Grilled pork head is a main dish on the table.
3. Berlin, Germany

The city of Berlin welcomes visitors and Berliners alike to commend the start of another year with a tremendous outdoors party. The festivals with live groups, DJs and an awesome firecrackers show at midnight are for nothing out of pocket and pull in a huge number of individuals consistently. The resulting party proceeds until the early morning long periods of New Year’s Day.

If you are in Berlin on New Year, do not forget to grab a small gift along since it’s a tradition that people exchange small gifts that are supposed to bring good luck for the new year, like marzipan pigs or four-leaf clovers. There’s also a tradition of melting little lead figurines and casting them into water to read your coming year’s fortune.
4. Paris, France

Paris is the perfect destination for a romantic New Year’s Eve getaway. It has high class dining, clubbing, fantastic fireworks, and the chance to sip Champagne on the Champs-Elysees. Around midnight, you can watch the Eiffel Tower’s light show. Another great place to spend the evening is Montmartre, as it offers spectacular views of the entire Paris skyline.

In France, the New Year’s Eve celebration is called “Le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre” meaning the awakening of the patron saint of the New year.
5. Amsterdam, Netherlands

If there’s one reliable place to be at midnight, it’s the Magere Brug (‘Skinny Bridge’). Here, merrymakers gather to watch countdown fireworks bursting over the River Amstel, then continue their festivities all across town.

“The new year’s dive” – This tradition dates back multiple centuries and implies that Dutch people wake up on January first, go to the beach, dive in the freezing cold sea and then start the New Year in an extremely fresh way.
6. Milan, Italy

Italians love festivals, and they love fireworks, and during New Year’s (il Capodanno), they have an abundance of both in cities and towns all over Italy for the celebrations marking the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.

Tradition calls for lentils to be served on New Year’s Eve because they symbolize money and good fortune for the coming year.
7. Istanbul, Turkey

Christmas decorations richly adorn the streets and buildings; Christmas trees are everywhere. Like the Christmas celebrations in the West, the Istanbulites celebrate New Year, the Christmas tree, indispensable part of the festivities, is called the New Year tree.

People exchange gifts during that evening, and another tradition is that women wear red underwear for a lucky new year.
8. Dubai, UAE

Dubai is one of the most exciting cities to hit during Christmas and New Year! High rise buildings, mesmerizing fireworks, parties, clubbing scenes, and the overall ceremony and show makes it sizzle with excitement.

Dubai plays host to some of the most insane New Year parties in the world every year.
9. Lisbon, Portugal
Feliz Ano Novo – Happy New Year in Portuguese

Visiting Portugal to enjoy New Year will give you the chance to see the city better than ever on this day. You will be able to watch fireworks, club hopping, party at Terreiro do Paço, enjoy a Portuguese meal and visit one of the Fado houses.

Here are some interesting New Year traditions in Portugal:
12 Raisins: Portuguese eat 12 raisins, one for each month, at midnight when the New Year begins.
Money: You should not have empty pockets on New year or you will spend the rest of the year in poverty
Loud noise: Head of your window with pots or pans and bang them loudly to chase away the evil spirits
10. Tibilsi, Georgia

Tbilisi “The city of lights” is called like that because during the month of December each and every street in the city is decorated with lights of different patterns. The decorations are hung across every street, notifying the arrival of Christmas and New Year.

Bedoba in Georgian means “a day of luck”. It is New Year’s second day (January 2nd) and is usually the continuation of the New Year’s feast.
According to the old tradition, what happens on Bedoba, happens the whole next year, so cheerful mood is advised. Everybody tries to do their best and live their life as cheerful as they can. Negativity is prohibited.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2020!
How about we take a look on the 15 weirdest food from around the world?
Then wait for our next Blog …