Description

Introduction:
Happy New Year! We’re excited to share our first episode of 2025 with you. In this episode, we reflect on how different cultures celebrate the start of the year. From pomegranates in Greece to chimney sweeps in Germany, we share our personal traditions and explore symbols of luck, family, and hope across the globe. Whether you celebrated with fireworks and champagne or went to bed early, this episode is all about stepping into 2025 with joy and connection.

Topics Discussed:

• Marisa’s New Year’s traditions, including celebrating her New Year’s Baby with fondue chinois.
• Astrid’s family meal featuring a recipe from our holiday cookbook—download it here.
• German New Year traditions like lead pouring, Dinner for One, and the lucky chimney sweep.
• What Marisa learned about Greek customs during her family's vacation.

Vocabulary and Symbols Shared in This Episode:

• Bonne année / Meilleurs voeux: French phrases to wish someone a Happy New Year and best wishes.
• Frohes Neues Jahr / Alles Gute: German phrases for Happy New Year and best wishes
• La Fondue Chinoise: A Swiss-inspired meal where thinly sliced meat and vegetables are cooked in broth at the table.
• Dinner for One: A classic British sketch that has become a New Year’s Eve staple in Germany.
• Lead Pouring: A German tradition, also used in some Jewish cultures, where melted lead is dropped into water to predict the future.
• Chimney Sweep: A symbol of good luck in German culture (and others if Mary Poppins is to be believed).

We Want to Hear from You:
How do you celebrate the New Year? What are your favorite traditions, foods, or good luck symbols? We’d love to hear how you say “Happy New Year” in your language!

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We want to hear from you! Share your personal stories of parenting across cultures or suggest topics for future episodes!

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Connect with Us:

• Instagram: @cultureclashparenting
• Email: cultureclashparenting@gmail.com

Culture Clash Parenting is lovingly produced by Astrid and Marisa, fueled by laughter, late-night texts, and a shared passion for embracing the chaos that comes with raising multicultural children. We believe in the power of storytelling to create a more peaceful, patient, and equitable world.

Music and editing by Lonely Heaven Music