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New Year Seychelles holidays
Like Christmas, New Year is celebrated with equal zest. Partygoers will be rewarded with spectacular firework displays, particularly firecrackers, music performances, and locals enthused with joy and smiles.
Enjoying good food surrounded by family and friends is the main ingredient at New Year in the Seychelles. Start the evening with a sit-down dinner, before joining the street celebrations. Maybe setting off your own Pagara (string of firecrackers), before retiring to the comfort of your hotel to see the night sky illuminated in a blaze of light and sound.
Raise a toast of champagne and reflect the old year in a serene paradise of tropical palms and baby-blue waters. Start the New Year with a bang in Seychelles.
New Year holidays to Seychelles
New Year traditions in Seychelles
Dande is the most unique tradition celebrated on New Year's in Seychelles. Dande means ‘to revel’ in the Papiamento language: it involves the island’s locals travelling in groups of five or six to visit neighbours' houses and wish them success and joy for the upcoming year with a celebration song.
Each group contains a main singer who customises their lyrics for every household member and musicians boasting an array of instruments to create various melodies. One member also carries a hat to collect donations, usually equally shared between them by the end of the night. This wonderful tradition occurs every year and lasts until January 6th.
The optimistic locals kick off the start of the upcoming year in a truly fun fashion. The tradition of Nieuwjaarsduik, which translates to "New Year’s plunge", entails people of all ages meeting on the first day of January at Moomba beach. They first participate in an energetic Zumba session, followed by running into the tranquil ocean at noon!
Best hotels to celebrate New Year in Seychelles
Celebrating the New Year with style and luxury is the usual at Constance Ephelia. This lavish hotel looms over an unspoiled beach, offering flawless views of the jungle-clad forests and glistening lagoons. For a fee, this luxury hotel provides a tasty New Year's Eve buffet with a diverse range of dishes suitable for even the pickiest eater.
The New Year's Eve beach party at the Ritz Carlton is also not one to miss. Listening to live entertainment and watching the fireworks whilst sipping champagne on the beach is what New Year's Eve is all about here in the Seychelles. For an even more lavish experience, you can rent a private cabana on the beach.