How to Celebrate New Year in Your City?

[BudionoS]

Hello Local Guides, happy new year 2019 for all of us, Local Guides family around the world.

The new year of 2019 has arrived. How do people in your country celebrate the new year, besides counting down and fireworks?

In Indonesia, especially in Surabaya, where I live, people gather in small communities of 10 to 20 neighbors, grilling fish together.

(Pssstt... according to @Christina-NYC Surabaya is #7 Where Local Guides shared the most photo in 2018)

Busyness starts in the morning. Some are in charge of preparing grills, some are going to the market to shop for fish, and others are preparing rice and complementary foods.

As soon as night falls, around 9:00 p.m., people start coming to the designated location. The charcoal-fired fish grill is immediately ignited. The fish that have been cleaned starts to be put on the grill. Some are in charge of making chili as a complement to eating fish with rice.

Approaching 12 o'clock at night, everything was ready to be eaten. All enjoy grilled fish with happy delight while waiting for the new year. We don't light fireworks ourselves, we just enjoy the fireworks that are lit by other people in other places.

Below is video of our fish party to celebrate New Year 2017.

Unfortunately last night, the event was cancelled, because of the thick cloud since noon, people were worried about heavy rain. So tonight we made it in our homes with our beloved family.

Happy New Year 2019!
@HelloSamsonR @HiroyukiTakisawa @NatalkaR @AlejandraMaria @YasumiKikuchi @StephenAbraham @AnuradhaP @MahabubMunna

[NunungAfuah]

hi @BudionoS I don't have plan for last night but sleeping, lol. What kind of fish is that? looks so yummy with warm rice and spicy sauce.

[BudionoS]

Hi @NunungAfuah same here, also sleeping from ba'da Isya because Surabaya is rainy. That fish is from our 2017 party. I dont know what kind of fish is that, but delicious 🙂

But maybe grilled gurami in your city is delicious as well 🙂

[NunungAfuah]

come! visit Blitar someday @BudionoS and we will eat walk, eat and walk 🙂

[iyudhi]

I was planning to sleep early, but the plan failed since people were doing firecrackers non stop and there's 'dangdutan' (block party? I don't know how to translate this lol) across the street all night long. So I ended up watching the new years Eve concert on TV. This was in Jakarta, Indonesia.

[NirajBhusal]

Looks great @BudionoS

Happy New Year 2019 @iyudhi @NunungAfuah

Greetings from Nepal. 

Namaste

Niraj

[HiroyukiTakisawa]

Happy New Year @BudionoS!

 We are enjoying traditional Japanese new year cousins and praying everyone's happy at a shrine:-)

[MutiahA]

Hi, @BudionoS. Thanks for sharing your story! The seafood really looks delicious!
Last night in Bogor, the New Years Eve event was held unlike the usual. The Mayor invited us to pray together at Sempur  Park, Bogor. The event are supposed to give spiritual and moral help to our friends and families that have been affected by many natural disasters and accidents this year.  The event is attended by many people from many religions. It was a peaceful night, actually. 

[AngieYC]

Hello @BudionoS,

For me personally, grilled fish with sambal terasi and hot plain white rice is the best. Especially in Indonesia you can easily get fresh fishes from the market. 

This new year, since it's winter here we decided to have a Hot Pot or in Indonesian we called it shabu-shabu to warm up. 

[VasT]

Thank you for sharing @BudionoS,

I am from Greece and for New Year's Eve we make vasilopita (you can read all about it here: New Year’s Eve Greek Tradition). 

At 12.00 o' clock we ring the bells in order to welcome the new year and open a water tap so the new year will flow fast as the water flows. Also, we break a pomegranate for good luck.