Bonjour! Guten Tag! ¡Hola! Ciao! As we ring in the New Year, let’s peek into the vibrant celebrations and quirky customs across France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
France: “Le Réveillon” in France is a feast to remember! Mistletoe kisses at midnight and savoring delicacies like foie gras and oysters are a must. The highlight is the “galette des rois” cake, an Epiphany specialty filled with frangipane and often hiding a small figurine called the “fève.” Discovering the fève in your slice crowns you king or queen for the day!
Germany: Celebrating “Silvester” in Germany involves sharing small gifts believed to bring good luck, such as marzipan pigs or four-leaf clovers. Another tradition involves melting small lead figurines and interpreting their shapes in water to forecast fortunes for the upcoming year.
Spain: Known as “Noche Vieja” (Old Night), New Year’s Eve in Spain is marked by a special custom. People stay indoors until midnight, participating in a tradition of eating twelve lucky grapes—one for each stroke of the clock. This act is believed to usher in good luck, abundance, and joy for the New Year.
Italy: During “Capodanno” in Italy, it’s time for a unique tradition! Italians toss old belongings out the window to bid adieu to the past, all while donning red underwear for a dash of good luck. Their New Year’s Eve dinner, featuring lentils and sausage, symbolizes a wish for prosperity and good fortune.
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These resolutions act as guiding stars for personal development. Teaching your kids about making resolutions and encouraging them to take part in setting their own is an excellent opportunity to help them grow, expand their worldview, and cultivate essential life skills that will shape their future endeavors and aspirations.
For younger children, explain how the New Year marks a fresh start, a time to embark on exciting journeys or achieve something new. Sit down together and help them choose one or two goals they’d like to accomplish in the coming year. It’s an excellent way to introduce the concept in a playful manner and empower them to strive for something exciting in the year ahead. This approach turns the tradition of resolutions into an enjoyable and achievable activity, setting the stage for their journey of growth and exploration in the upcoming year.
Consider making language learning your child’s resolution this year. Getting kids excited about language learning is easier than you think! With our captivating bilingual stories, interactive activities, and fun tools, diving into a new language becomes an epic adventure, full of laughter and new discoveries.
Here’s to a year teeming with discoveries and boundless fun! If you’re eager to kickstart this linguistic adventure, explore our Story Boxes — our Clockwork Methodology is the key to making language learning a delightful and rewarding experience for kids. Let’s make this year about kindling the excitement of learning, sparking curiosity, embracing diversity, and crafting moments of sheer linguistic magic! Cheers to an extraordinary journey ahead!
New Year
New Year
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Our courses are available in French, Spanish, Italian and German.
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Choose between monthly or annual payment options.
Start learning
Receive your first audiobook and Story Box, and let the learning begin!.