Throwing Old Furniture Off High-Rise Balconies
In Johannesburg’s inner-city neighborhood of Hillbrow, some residents developed a notorious New Year’s Eve habit: literally tossing old furniture out of tower-block windows at midnight. Everything from chairs to fridges reportedly rained down on the streets as a dramatic way to “clear out the old” before January 1. Police have spent years cracking down on the custom because, unsurprisingly, it’s extremely dangerous.
Today the tradition survives mostly as a cautionary tale and occasional incident, rather than an accepted way to celebrate the new year.
Pouring Molten Lead to Read Your New Year’s Fate
For generations in Germany and parts of Central Europe, people practiced Bleigießen—“lead pouring”—on New Year’s Eve. Small pieces of lead were melted over a candle, then poured into cold water, where they hardened into bizarre shapes. Those shapes were interpreted like fortune cookies for the year ahead. Modern safety standards and EU rules effectively banned lead-based kits in 2018 because of toxic exposure risks.
Naturally, many shops stopped selling them. Today, a few families use safer wax or tin alternatives, but the traditional lead version is largely a thing of the past.