When I was younger, my maternal side of the family would participate in a Finnish New Years tradition. Although it is not exactly accurate, we melted lead (rather than tin) that my dad had for soldering stained glass lamps. It was melted over a candle in a spoon. When it was liquified, we dropped the molten lead into a bucket of cold water. The lead would instantly solidify into random shapes. These shapes were said to predict an aspect of the next year; for instance, if they were bubbly and rough, it meant that money was coming your way.