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Strange New Year's Traditions From Around The World

9 Strange New Year's Traditions...Like Wearing Red Underwear
Michael Rowe via Getty Images

Ahead of New Year's Eve, the social networking site Badoo asked members to cast their votes to elect the world's strangest and funniest New Year's traditions. The locals in Talca, Chile came out in first place by a long shot in the "strangest" category with their custom of spending the night in a cemetery with their dead relatives.

While champagne, confetti and counting down to midnight have become the standard way to celebrate in many countries, some cultures still have their own specific ways of ringing in the New Year, including some very original practices. Here is the ranking, according to Badoo, of the strangest and funniest of these New Year's Eve customs.

Talca, Chile

Strange New Year's Customs

Top 5 strangest customs

1. Spending the night in a cemetery in the company of dead loved ones (Talca, Chile)

2. Attempting to hear animals speaking, in the hopes of finding true happiness (Romania)

3. Striking the walls with bread to ward off evil spirits (Ireland)

4. Throwing furniture out the window (Johannesburg, South Africa)

5. Jumping into a frozen lake while carrying a tree trunk (Siberia, Russia)

Top 5 funniest customs

1. A collective kissing session on a square (Venice, Italy)

2. Wearing red underwear, a symbol of good luck (Spain, Italy and Mexico)

3. Having a giant water fight over the course of three days (Thailand)

4. Throwing furniture out the window (Johannesburg, South Africa)

5. Boxing with neighbors to settle long-standing quarrels (Peru)

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