ANCIENT NEW YEARS
The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).
The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
THE CHURCH'S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.
During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.
NEW YEAR TRADITIONS
The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California.
Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.
The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.
Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.
The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.
FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.
Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.
AULD LANG SYNE
The song, "Auld Lang Syne," playing in the background, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."
New Year's Celebrations
Around the World
Find out how people celebrate in many different countries.
Mochituki: Making Rice Cakes
Manabu Ozawa from Japan
This is a Japanese tradition that is frequently played for making rice cakes (Mochi) at New Year. Glutinous rice becomes mochi after it is steamed and pounded with a Kine and Usu.
First of all, place steamed rice into a wooden pestle. Next, it is Dad's turn. Dad grabs the Kine which is made of wood and shaped like a big hammer. This is a good opportunity to show off his authority because the Kine is very heavy and smashing rice with it is hard work. Every time Dad smashes rice with the Kine, Son or Mom has to mix and flip rice with their wet hands so the rice does not stick to the Kine.
A good relationship and trust in each other are necessary. Dad may crash Son's or Mom's hand with the Kine. This movement should be rhythmical. Dad hits, son mixes things such as jams, fresh fruits, wine and hot tea.
We pray for the best luck to come to our family. After that, we wish everybody good luck and give lucky money bags, clothes, or anything we know the members of our family like.
In the early morning, we need to visit our grandparents, parents, or siblings if we don't live with them. The next day, we visit our teachers and friends. New Year's Day is an important day in my country. We love that day so much that the members of our family always go back home and are happy together.
Nowadays, people are becoming not to do this custom because of a lack of place to do it and because they are using electronic Mochi-tuki machines. But I believe this custom is a good one to start the New Year working with the family.
Chinese New Year Paper Cuttings
Cheng Jiang-Jiang from China
If you were in China for New Year's Day, you would see many kinds of paper cuttings on every family's windows. Paper cuttings are one of the most popular folk arts in China. They are properly framed or simply pasted onto the windows.
Traditionally, they were only made of red paper. Most elderly women would make them just with a piece of red paper and a pair of scissors. They made them for their own families for the Chinese New Year. The Chinese believed that these paper cuttings can scare away the evil spirits, so they can't get into your house through the windows. The cuttings also bring you luck for the New Year.
Now the cuttings have changed. They are full of colors. Today they are also made in factories. It is not only a custom to have them in public, but they are also a beautiful form of art representing Chinese culture. Many are still made completely by hand, then hand painted in bright colors.
They are truly a Chinese miracle. Would you like to have one for the New Year? It would bring you good luck for the New Year.
Celebrating the New Year in Japan
Keiko Imai from Japan
I will explain a traditional Japanese New Year. Nowadays, although young people go somewhere with their friends during the long New Year holidays, many families still enjoy it with families and relatives. So, at the very end of the old year and the beginning of the new year, it is very crowed in trains, in airplanes, and on highways as we gather with families. I think I can say that our New Year celebration begins on December 31st because we enjoy talking , watching TV, and eating soba which is a Japanese noodle eaten that night. The reason why we eat sobasoba
Just at midnight, some famous temples ring 108 sounds with a temple bell. This meaning is from a traditional legend. It says that there are 108 desires regarding sense, feeling, and time in every person. In order to erase these desires, we ring 108 sounds because people used to believe that these sounds were effective for them.
On the morning of New Year's Day, we drink spiced Japanese sake to celebrate. We pour a little of this sake into traditional Japanese ceramic cups, then drink it in the order of age in the family. We drink three mouthfuls. After that, we eat traditional foods. We usually eat rice cake in Japanese soup called Zouni which has many vegetables in it. Also we eat many kinds of foods that are packaged in beautiful boxes which usually have triple layers.
Also, we go to a temple to make wishes although many people don't have religion. I think it might be a kind of custom. These wishes depend on the person, but usually we wish for health, happiness, and peace.
It is a special day for children because they can receive some money in special envelopes from their relatives for New Year's presents. They can buy something they like with this money.
We also receive greetings cards. Usually we write and send greeting cards to our friends in December, and the post office staffs strive to put these cards in our boxes on January 1st. So, even though postal workers are extremely busy during this time, families can enjoy these greeting cards thanks to them.
I think a happy New Year is for the Japanese like Christmas is for Americans. In order to enjoy it, our December is really busy. We clean our house, cook for the holiday, write greeting cards, and go shopping. Also, we enjoy celebrating Christmas as Western people do, so every end of the year, we feel really hurried.
The traditional Japanese New Year celebration is being celebrated less and gradually becoming simpler like everything is changing over the generations, but it is still dear to us. We are trying to keep initiating it into each new generation because it has always been one of the most important events for Japanese.
New Year's Day in Korea
IckChan Lee from Korea
Like many other Asian countries, Korea has two different New Year's days according to solar and lunar calendars. The more widely preferred one is the lunar New Year's day, so called So-nal. Sol-nal is a day for the whole family's reunion for refreshing everyone's common life newly at the very beginning of a year. It has many special meanings and events.
On New Year's Eve
On Sol-nal's Eve, people prepare special sieves made with straw (Bok-jori) and hang them outdoors to prevent their family from evil and all the bad luck. Often, kids are trying to keep awake all that night because they believe that if they slept, their eyebrows will turn white.
Clothes
On the morning of Sol-nal, everyone dresses in specially prepared, traditional clothes (usually new and fresh). Generally, it is decorated with five colors, and they call it Sol-bim.
Food (meal ceremony)
Early in the morning, every family gathers at their eldest male member's home to perform Cha-rye, which is ancestral memorial rites with Ttok-kuk, which is a bowl of sliced thinly white rice cake soup boiled in a thick beef broth with bright garnishes topping and green onion. Ttok-kuk has the meaning of adding age, so people believe if they have a bowl of it, they get a year older. Therefore, Koreans traditionally count their ages one more, not after their birthdays but after Sol-nal.
Jol (bowing)
After the big, very special breakfast, the younger people bow to the elder, wishing their healthy and long life, good luck, and prosperity in that whole year. This bowing is called Se-bae or Jol. To perform Jol, man brings his hands together in front of his eyes and sits on his knees touching the floor, and then bow his head on his hands touched on the floor. For woman, it is much harder so she needs assistants' help because she has to sit with her hands brought together keeping in front of her eyes, but without touching her knees on the floor, but sit down with her hip to the floor. Often, kids prepare small beautifully decorated purse, called Bok-ju-mo-ny, and keep the money, which the elders give them after the bow.
Entertainment
After the long bowing-time, every young member goes outside to play kite flying, top spinning (for boys) and Korean seesawing (for girls). Inside home, people play Yut-no-ri, a stick game playing with four wooden sticks and checkers. They eat, talk, and play all day long and enjoy their large family reunion from great grandfather to great granddaughter.
Celebrating the New Year in Vietnam
Ngoc-Ahn (Annie) Ho from Vietnam
Every country has famous holidays because they symbolize the customs of people. A famous holiday in my country is the Lunar New Year Festival. Nowadays, Vietnamese still keep this traditional holiday.
First of all, the New Year holiday happens in February. In the month before the holiday, people clean up and whitewash their houses. They buy fresh flowers and a peach blossom to put in their house. as that is the Vietnamese custom. Second, they buy cakes and fruits such as watermelons, ginger-sweetmeat, coconut-sweetmeat, plum-sweetmeat, and lotus seeds to receive their relatives.
On the days before the holiday, it's crowded in the markets because the people sell flowers and fruits and they go shopping for the New Year's holiday. If you walk along the streets near the markets, you'll see the people are going to buy peach blossoms. It's crowded and fun.
On the midnight of the holiday, people go to pagodas to pray to Buddha. Everyone walks along the streets and talks together. After that, old and young people go to the park to see Chinese dragon dances and fireworks. Next, the people congratulate each other. The next morning, the children have to wish grandparents, parents and relatives a Happy New Year. After the children wish their parents good luck, their parents will give them a red envelope that has money inside. Then the family eats cakes and watermelon. Watermelon are special fruits during the Vietnamese New Year. Then, people return to their houses.
This famous Vietnamese holiday is important because everyone still keeps the customs of their ancestors. The Vietnamese have fun and are always happy on New Year's Day. They are always saying "Happy New Year" to each other
New Year's Customs Worldwide
How do people celebrate this holiday around the world?
..in Brazil?
In all cities in Brazil, we have a big party on New Year's Eve, especially in Rio de Janeiro where people go to the beaches to watch fireworks. We usually wear white clothes in order to have good luck during the new year. This party used to be a kind of religious party, but today it has become a big show for tourists and citizens. The party's preparation begins on the morning of the 31st, and the fireworks start at midnight. It lasts around thirty minutes, and everybody makes wishes for the new year: money, love, health. Normally we host more than two million people.
Angela Teixeira
In Brazil, most New Year's Eve customs are related to good luck or fortune. Most people wear white clothes on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and peace for the year that will follow. If they are in a beach city, after midnight, people go to the beach, jump seven waves and throw flowers in the sea while making a wish. This will bring them good luck and fortune. They say that the goddess who protects the sea will make their wishes come true. Because of that, some people also light candles in the sand on the beach. I think this custom came from the mix of the African and Indian cultures that developed in Brazil and have spread from coast to coast.
Renate Pauperio ...in China?
In China, New Year's Eve is a time for...
- all family members to get together to chat
- us to have some special food which we don't have daily
- children to wear brand new clothes
- children to gather lucky money from adults
- traveling
- hanging around the flower shows
-
shopping for cleaning one's house, especially for messy people.
On New Year's Eve, all family members get together and just stay home to prepare food. Even though some of the work in different cities, they will be home on time.
At the dinner, we have lots of foods such as dumplings, chicken, and fish which all have meanings of good luck. After dinner, we all go out to a flower show. We can buy different flowers and some New Year's stuff. Then we go back home and chat together. In the meantime, we have some snacks. No one will leave until after midnight. Officially, we have nine days for holidays during New Year.
Kelly Chen
The Chinese New Year's holiday which is celebrated in February, is the longest and most crowded holiday in my country. During this time, people celebrate the arrival of the New Year, pray for a new start of their life in the following spring, and make many new wishes and plans.
The children don't really understand the meaning of New Year's, but it is very exciting for them, and they are happy with all the gifts and programs such as dancing, movies, eating, partying, and talking over old times. Adults visit each other, and usually the holiday will last for two weeks.
I remember that when I was a child, I used to look forward to the New Year, but year by year, I gradually lost interest. Now spectacular shows on TV last all day long. Most of the programs are parties from each province. People sing, dance and play dramas. Today, more and more Chinese would rather spend their time traveling during the holiday. Furthermore, a lot of couples have their weddings during the New Year's holiday.
Yian Ma ...in Colombia?
Burning "Mr. Old Year" is a New Year's tradition in some cities of Colombia. It requires the participation of the entire family. It is a lot of fun; they fabricate a big stuffed male doll that represents the old year. Then they stuff the doll with different materials. Sometimes they put some little fireworks in it to make it more exciting at the time they burn it. Also, they put things inside that they don't want anymore, objects that can bring sadness or bad memories. These things will burn with the old year, meaning that they want to forget all the bad things that happened during the past year. They dress the man with old clothes from each member of the family. Then, on New Year's Eve at midnight, they set the doll on fire. This symbolizes burning the past and getting ready to start a happy New Year without bad memories of the past.
Martha Leverett ...in Korea?
My grandmother always says not to sleep on New Year's Eve. If you sleep, your eyebrows will turn white. I don't know where these words come from. Of course, it doesn't happen. Every New Year's Eve we can watch a striking-a-bell ceremony on TV. The bell is struck 33 times. This is in memory of 33 fighters who died for the restoration of Korea. On New Year's Day a lot of people go to the sea to watch the sunrise. The beaches of eastern Korea are filled with crowds of people. On seeing the sunrise, people make their new wishes.
Seong Ah Kim
We call New Year's Day Sul-nal. We don't have a real New Year's day on January 1st. We use the lunar calendar, and it shows the days a little differently, just as February can be different, depending on the year. We usually wear Han-Boks which are Korean traditional clothes. We have ancestor memorial sites on the first day in the morning. In order to have this, many relatives come together. After the rites, we eat Dduk-gook which is made of rice cake and is a kind of soup. Also, whenever we meet our elders, we perform a New Year's bow. Some older people give New Year's gifts. New Year's day is the biggest holiday in Korea, so we usually spend time with the family and relatives. There are many traditional games on New Year's Day, such as yut, seesaw (teeter). The game of yut consists of 4 sticks and a board. There are 3-4 teams, and each team has 3 to 4 members, so many people can play this game.
Seung-Hye Lee (Clare)
On New Year's day, we traditionally wear Korean traditional clothes called "Hanbock." However, nowadays some people wear western clothes. In the morning, younger generations bow to older generations. For example, children bow to their parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents; and parents bow to their parents. After bowing, older people give brand new money to the children. This means good luck and good wishes. We have special food for this day. It is a kind of soup made of rice cake. All family members eat together and give each other good blessings. There are some traditional games for New Year's Day. I think it is just for family union and for fun. It is winter on those days, so children make a kite and play with them. We also wear special pockets in which we think we can put blessings, but nowadays this custom is disappearing.
Haegyung Lee (Lynn) ...in Mexico?
In Mexico, many people usually gather with their relatives and friends to celebrate the new year. On New Year's Eve, we have some special customs. For example, we turn on the TV and wait to see or hear the bell ringing twelve times. Each time the bell rings, we eat one grape and make a wish. Then we hug each other and wish each other a Happy New Year. Some people, especially women, wear red underwear meaning you will find love in the next year. There are also people who take out their suitcases and walk around the block, meaning they wish they could travel next year. There's also a custom on January 6th to eat a special cake with a hole in it and a small toy inside. The person who gets the piece with this tiny kid is supposed to make a special food on February 5th.
Paola Montsalve ...in Switzerland?
On the last day of December, everybody is very busy. All the food shops and liquor shops are crowded. People are unfriendly and impatient because shopping takes a long time on this day. Finally, people get home late at seven o'clock, tired from working and shopping, hardly enough energy to start cooking the big meal. Until 11 o'clock, nobody is very excited, but deep inside we all feel that soon there will soon be coming a moment to think about our past and our future. When finally the clock turns to 12 o'clock, we raise our glasses and make a toast for all the good things that happened in the last year. We kiss everybody not only 3 times, but many times, and hug everybody several times.
Sylvia Bopp ...in Taiwan?
Before we celebrate the Chinese New Year, the boss in your company always treats his/her subordinates to a big meal and a lottery game. The prizes of the lottery game range from M. Benze to $50 gift certificates. Everyone wins a prize; in other words, everyone wins at least fifty dollars.
It sounds fun, right? However, there is one bad news I have to tell you. According to tradition, the boss usually sets one whole, well-cooked chicken in the middle of the table. After he finishes his speech, to show he appreciates everyone's effort for the company in the past year, he rotates the table tray to show we are able to start eating. At that moment, you have to make sure the chicken's head is not facing you. If it is, it means the boss dislikes you, and you will be fired after the Chinese New Year.
Fred Chen ...in Thailand?
Thailand has its specific New Year's date; it's different from the normal calendar. The Thai New Year is celebrated on April 13. This day is also a special festival which we call Song-Klarn Day." On this day, Thai people play with water, throwing it on each other. It's also a Thai custom that we respect senior citizens, so most Thai people go back to their hometowns to visit their grandparents to ask for good luck.
Piboon Choklerdpatana
In Thailand, we don't have specific customs for New Year's Eve. When the New Year comes, people just celebrate. A few days before New Year's Day, most people who have migrated from another city to the capital city of Thailand will go back to their own city in order to celebrate with their families. At twelve o'clock when the clock chimes, people usually say, "Happy New Year!" to family members. Some families have fireworks, too. In the morning on January 1st, children often ask for some blessings or wishes from their parents and grandparents, and both of them will give the children money, usually quite a lot of money. They give them new money. The children will use this money to buy whatever they want because they think when the New Year comes, everything should be new. New things are a good sign for starting life again. Most people think if their past time before New Year's was bad, the new year will bring them good luck, and they can start their life again.
Rungsima Trahoolngam (Kwang) ...in Turkey?
The last day of December there are many special entertainment programs on TV. Each TV channel tries to present the best program for New Year's Eve. This Turkish celebration starts early in the evening and lasts till early morning. That night all places are full, and you have to make a reservation a long time before that night if you want to celebrate it out of home.
I remember many happily celebrated New Years with my family when I was a child. When I became a teenager, I started to go out with my friends and that was also wonderful.
Edibe B. Ciftci...in Venezuela?
In my country, people usually wear yellow underwear on New Year's Day. It means good luck for people who wear it. Most people also eat twelve grapes at midnight for good luck. People who want to travel take a suitcase and carry it around the house. Some people write wishes in a letter, and then they burn it. In almost every house, people have a big meal and make toasts with champagne.
Nakari Barrios
New Year's Day is a special date in our country just as it is everywhere in the world. We always celebrate this special date by drinking champagne and having a big family dinner. This kind of celebration has been a tradition for many years. Furthermore, many people think that this special day brings good luck, and many of them wear yellow underwear to have good luck in the new year. We also write a letter asking for many wishes, and when the New Year comes, we put all those papers together and burn them to make sure that nobody can read what we wrote. Many kids play with artificial fires, and they are given many gifts.
Luis Schiavo ...in Vietnam?
New Year's Day, the start of the new year is the beginning of 10 days of celebration. There are 3 main days that we celebrate. On these days, everyone has to come back to their family if they have gone out of town.
On the first day at 12 midnight, the grandmother or mother in each family has to light firecrackers to receive and welcome the New Year. Then, we go to sleep to wait for the sun to rise. When the sun rises, we wake up and put on new clothes. Then, our grandparents sit on a chair in front of our parents to wish them a happy new year and a long life. Then, our parents sit on the chair to wish us a happy new year and longevity. We keep this custom year after year.
Ngoc-Anh (Annie) Ho
Celebrate! Holidays In The U.S.A.
New Year's Day
(January 1)
The beginning of the new year has been welcomed on different dates throughout history. Great Britain and its colonies in America adopted the Gregorian calender in 1752, in which January 1st was restored as New Year's Day. Ways of celebrating differ as well, according to customs and religions of the world. People in Moslem societies, for example, celebrate the new year by wearing new clothes. Southeast Asians release birds and turtles to assure themselves good luck in the twelve months ahead. Jewish people consider the day holy, and hold a religious ceremony at a meal with special foods. Hindus of India leave shrines next to their beds, so they can see beautiful objects at the start of the new year. Japanese prepare rice cakes at a social event the week before the new year.
Whatever the custom, most of people feel the same sentiment. With a new year, we can expect a new life. We wish each other good luck and promise ourselves to do better in the following year.
New Year's Eve (December 31)
In the United States, the federal holiday is January first, but Americans begin celebrating on December 31. Sometimes people have masquerade balls, where guests dress up in costumes and cover their faces with masks. According to an old tradition, guests unmask at midnight.
At New Year's Eve parties across the United States on December 31, many guests watch television as part of the festivities. Most of the television channels show Times Square in the heart of New York City. At one minute before midnight, a lighted ball drops slowly from the top to the bottom of a pole on one of the buildings. People count down at the same time as the ball drops. When it reaches the bottom, the new year sign is lighted. People hug and kiss, and wish each other "Happy New Year!"
New Year's Day
On January first, Americans visit friends, relatives and neighbors. There is plenty to eat and drink when you just drop in to wish your loved ones and friends the best for the year ahead. Many families and friends watch television together enjoying the Tournament of Roses parade preceding the Rose Bowl football game in Pasadena California. The parade was started in 1887, when a zoologist who had seen one in France suggested to the Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena, California that they sponsor "an artistic celebration of the ripening of the oranges" at the beginning of the year. At first the parade was a line of decorated horse-drawn private carriages. Athletic events were held in the afternoon, and in the evening, a ball where winners of the events of the day and the most beautiful float were announced. In later years colleges began to compete in football games on New Year's Day, and these gradually replaced other athletic competitions. The parade of floats grew longer from year to year, and flower decorations grew more elaborate.
The theme of the Tournament of Roses varies from year to year. Today the parade is usually more than five miles long with thousands of participants in the marching bands and on the floats. City officials ride in the cars pulling the floats. A celebrity is chosen to be the grand marshal, or official master of ceremonies. The queen of the tournament rides on a special float which is always the most elaborate one of the parade, being made from more than 250,000 flowers. Spectators and participants alike enjoy the pageantry associated with the occasion. Preparation for next year's Tournament of Roses begins on January 2.
In the warmer regions all around the country there are other games whose names are characteristic of the state. People watch the Orange Bowl game in Florida, the Cotton Bowl in Texas, and the Sugar Bowl in Louisiana. In most cultures, people promise to better themselves in the following year. Americans have inherited the tradition and even write down their New Year's resolutions. Whatever the resolution, most of them are broken or forgotten by February!
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