New Year's Eve celebrations are universal traditions that almost every nation in the world observes. But did you know that some countries have unique superstitions and customs when welcoming the New Year? So, as the world welcomed 2016 with fireworks, here are the top 10 New Year's Eve traditions worldwide.

1. Eating of 12 grapes at midnight in Spain

New Year's Eve celebration in Spain traditionally starts with a family dinner. But the most notable Spanish NYE tradition is the eating of 12 grapes before the clock strikes midnight, as per International Business Times. The said tradition lead to a year of prosperity.   

2. New Year's Eve lottery in Turkey

While many people around the world welcome the New Year with fireworks displays, Turkish people often choose to play the lottery on New Year's Eve as State TV channels announce the winning numbers just as the clock is about to strike midnight. Some are also decorating a "New Year's tree" in association of Noel Baba, a Turkish Santa Claus.

3. Ash-filled glass of champagne in Russia

Many Russians write down their wishes for the upcoming year on a piece of paper. The glitch? They burn down the paper and place the ashes in a glass of champagne. And right before midnight, they drink it.

4. Nigeria's religious NYE tradition

New Year's Eve is usually a time for intense prayer in many Christian families. Thus, many Nigerians choose to spend the time in worship at church and Muslim families are at local mosques. While others observe a month-long fast.

5. Cattle worship and Dish of Six Tastes in India

In Northern India, the Telugu New Year celebration usually kicks off by eating "Ugadi Pachadi," a dish with six different tastes including bitterness, spiciness, saltiness, sourness and tanginess. NBC News has learned that these tastes also represent six emotions such as sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust and surprise.

In the Assam region of India, on the other hand, the Bohag or Rangali Bihu New Year celebrations start with cattle worship. During this time, cattle are bathed in herbs and are fed with assorted vegetables and confectionery.

6. Fukubukuro New Year tradition in Japan

In Japan, all type of stores will sell grab bags called "Fukubukuro" every Jan. 1 as a way to drive holiday sales and as a an act of gratitude towards their customers, who will buy the bags without knowing their contents. But these bags are heavily discounted.

7. Scotland's Loony Dork

Loony Dork is a popular Scottish New Year tradition, where people are taking a swim in the icy Firth on Fork River in South Queensferry, located west of Edinburgh.

8. Bear fur costumes in Romania

To ring in the New Year, Romanian villagers in the northern town of Comanesti observe a centuries-old tradition of wearing bear fur costumes that goes with a door-to-door parade, CBC News reported.

9. Ecuador's Los Años Viejos

In this New Year tradition, puppets are used to represent the sins and the joys of the past. And when the clock strikes midnight, these puppets are burned.

10. Possum drop in Brasstown, North Carolina

After three-year hiatus and years of animal rights protests, the annual possum drop is back along with Miss Possum contest. The judge and state officials cleared the live-marsupial lowering after they discovered that no harm would come to the animal during the event.