New Year Traditions in Ohio

In Cleveland, Ohio, the socialists organized a big New Year's Eve celebration speeches, poems, musical violin performances. Cheery songs by a "mölykööri” (a male chorus), "kuplettilaulua" (comic singer) and a dramatic play named "Leo ja Liina" (Leo and Liina) by Aleksis Kivi, marked the New Year celebrations in Ohio. Ideas for pranks, public buffoonery, costume plays were also welcome to ring in the New Year fun.

On the New Eve people attend festive parties; organize open houses and lit fireworks. There was as an old German-American custom called "shooting in the New Year” that involved traveling to country land firing a few shots near a relative’s home.

This ancient tradition has been substituted by the shooting of fireworks. All these customs were practiced to scare off any evil spirits lurking about in the New Years Eve.Having lentil or split pea on the New Year’s Day is also popular among the various New Year traditions in Ohio. These foods tend to bring good luck to the family. Another old custom is Bleigiessen, or lead pouring, which is done by melting a small piece of lead in a spoon and then pouring it into a bowl filled with water.