| Modern practices January 1 marks the end of a period of remembrance of a particular passing year, especially on radio, television, and in newspapers, which usually starts right after Christmas Day. Publications often have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. Common topics include politics, natural disasters, music and the arts, and the listing of significant individuals who died during the past year. Often there are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year, such as the description of new laws that often take effect on January 1. This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s has become an occasion for celebration the night of December 31, called New Year's Eve. There are often fireworks at midnight. Depending on the country, individuals may be allowed to burn fireworks, even if it is forbidden the rest of the year. It is also a memorable occasion to make New Year's resolutions, which they hope to fulfill in the coming year; the most popular ones in the western world include to stop tobacco smoking or drinking alcohol, or to lose weight or get physically fit. In all countries that use the Gregorian calendar, with the exception of Israel, New Year's Day is a public holiday. |
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New Year's Day Aries in the Hindu month of Chithrai (mid April) and observed for more than 5100 years in Kali Yuga. In England and Scotland an extra round of football fixtures is played (unless New Year's Day falls on a Friday or Sunday). In Pasadena, California, United States, the Tournament of Roses is held, with revelers viewing the parade from the streets and watching on television, followed by the Rose Bowl football game. The aforementioned Rose Bowl football game is one of several postseason bowl games played in college football in the United States (though in recent years it, due to its involvement in the BCS, has not always fallen on New Year's Day; changes in the BCS mean that the Rose Bowl will return as a perennial New Year's Day fixture). Vienna New Year Concert, in Austria. Polar Bear Clubs: in many northern hemisphere cities near bodies of water, they will have a tradition of people plunging into the cold water on New Year's Day. The Coney Island Polar Bears Club in New York is the oldest cold-water swimming club in the United States. They have had groups of people enter the chilly surf since 1903. In Philadelphia, the Mummers Parade is held on Broad Street. Hindu New Year, which falls at the time and date Sun enters Mesha. Hindus celebrate the new year by paying respects to their parents and other elders and seek their blessings. They also exchange tokens of Good Wishes (Kai Vishesham). The New Year's Day Parade is held in London. Performers include acts from each of the city's 32 boroughs, as well as entertainment from around the world. |
| Specific, high-profile or common celebrations |
New Year's Eve In Brazil, two major cities, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, celebrate the New Year. Most famously in Rio de Janeiro, the world's biggest and most famous fireworks display, which occurs in the also famous Copacabana beach, drawing 1.5 to 2.5 million people to the beach. Sydney leads the world in one of the first major New Year celebrations each year. In Australia, celebrations are held around the nation, especially in Sydney, where one of the world's largest fireworks displays draws 1 to 1.5 million people to the harbour. Australia was one of the first countries in the world to celebrate the new year. In New York City, the world famous 1,070-pound, 6-foot-diameter Waterford crystal ball located high above Times Square is lowered starting at 11:59:00 p.m., or the last minute of the year, and reaches the bottom of its tower at the stroke of midnight. It is sometimes referred to as "the big apple" like the city itself; the custom derives from the time signal that used to be given at noon in harbors. Other ball drops occur in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and Sydney Harbour. In The Netherlands, Denmark and other European countries, the New Year is greeted with massive private fireworks. This day is also the occasion to make bonfires of discarded Christmas trees in some countries. In Russia the New Year is greeted by fireworks and drinking champagne. The New Year is considered a family celebration, with lavish dinner tables and gifts. The president of Russia normally counts down the final seconds of the "old year", as it is called in Russia. A giant clock tower chimes in the new year, and it is customary to make a wish with each chime. In South Korea, the most popular way of celebrating New Year's Day is to travel to Jung dong jin, the place on the peninsula where the sun can first be seen each day. Junkanoo parade, in Nassau, Bahamas. Some mayors in North America hold New Year levees. In Scotland, there are many special customs associated with the New Year. Hogmanay is the Scots name for the New Year celebration. Japanese New Year in Japan. The Peach Drop in Underground Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States. In Davos, Switzerland, the final match of the Spengler Cup Ice Hockey Tournament is usually held on this day by tradition. In the Philippines, people light fireworks, loud firecrackers, booming sound system, bamboo canons as well as make a lot of noise to ward off evil spirits. Coins are also jumbled in tin cans to make noise with the belief that this will bring more money to the revelers. In most English speaking countries, it is customary to sing "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight. See Auld Lang Syne page for history and lyrics. It is also very popular to kiss loved ones on New Years Eve to celebrate love and happiness. |
Images associated with New Year's Day In the United States, a common image used is that of an incarnation of Father Time (or the "Old Year") wearing a sash across his chest with the previous year printed on it passing on his duties to the Baby New Year (or the "New Year"), an infant wearing a sash with the new year printed on it. |
New Year Foods Almost every country has at least one special food that is eaten on New Year's Eve or in the first days of the New Year that is supposed to bring luck, wealth or success in the coming year. Lucky New Year Food in Japan New Year Foods that are believed to be particularly auspicious are soba noodles which are especially long noodles that should be sucked up and eaten without breaking them to ensure long life, and mochi rice, which is a rice that is more sticky than ordinary rice and is pressed into cakes called omochi -- then it's either broiled or eaten in soup called Ozoni. Large omochi cakes are first offenavy to the gods, then cut into pieces and eaten by the family to bring the opportunity for luck and good health to every New Year's meal. Omochi cakes can be bought in Japanese grocery stores. Lucky New Year Food in Greece The Greek tradition of eating Vasilopita (a cake baked with a coin inside) originated from the famously high taxes that the Ottoman Empire imposed on the Greek people during the long Ottoman reign. It is believed that a Bishop of Greece, through some miracle, managed to recover a large portion of the Greek people's riches from the Ottoman's grasp. When he attempted to return the riches to their respective owners fighting among the Greek people roke out -- no one could agree on who had owned what! The second miracle of the story unveils itself here: Saint Basil asked the women to bake a large cake with the valuables inside. When he sliced the cake, the valuables miraculously found their way back to their rightful owners! Today, a cake is baked in honor of this miracle and one coin is baked inside of it. The person who bites into his piece of cake and finds the coin will be blessed with good luck in the coming New Year. Lucky New Year Food in Italy Italian people welcome the New Year in an extremely interesting way, by tossing old things out of their windows! Old things are tossed out in an effort to make room for the new and lucky to enter their households and lives in the year to come. The Italian people eat a traditional New Year dish called cotechino con lenticchie: pork sausage served over lentils. This New Year food is eaten because of the presence of fatty rich pork sausage and lentils in it. Cotechino sausage is a symbol of abundance because they are rich in fat; while lentils symbolize money (being both green and coin shaped). This New Year food promises a double-packs of luck! Lucky New Year Food in America There is a Southern saying that dictates eating habits in the Southern United States' New Year's: "Eat poor on New Year's, eat fat the rest of the year." A traditional Southern New Year's meal includes ham, corn bread, black-eyed peas and collard greens. Both black-eyed peas and collard greens are considenavy especially lucky additions to the dinner table. Black-eyed peas are thought to bring wealth because they look like little coins, in addition to the fact that they swell when cooked -- a sure sign of prosperity. Collard greens are considenavy lucky because they are green, like greenbacks -- money! Lucky New Year Food in Spain A magnificently large harvest only happens every so often, and when it does, the year that the harvest blossomed is celebrated. At the turn of the century, Spain experienced a gigantic grape harvest. The harvest was so grandiose that the year is marked as a time of great luck. Every year since, Spanish people have brought in the New Year by eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. At each strike of the Plaza del Sol clock (which is broadcast to the entire country much like the United States broadcasts the Time's Square clock), another grape is eaten in celebration of lucky years past, and in hope of a lucky year to come. Champagne: The Universal New Year Good Luck Charm Champagne is a universal lucky tradition. It is drunk not only in France, its country of origin, but also around the world on New Year's Eve. Why champagne is considered the ultimate drink for toasting in the New Year is a bit of a mystery |
