New Year’s Day is a worldwide holiday in which we celebrate the end of our prior year and the beginning of our up-and-coming year. On the night of December 31st in each time zone people count down the hours turning to minutes and seconds of the final night of the year.
This night is filled with annual traditions such as fireworks, food, party’s and all sorts of fun filled activities. Every year in New York on EST there is a ball drop that counts down the final 24 hours of the year, thousands of people attend this event. The ball drop is not all that occurs, there are concerts and guest appearances from a bunch of celebrities.
New Year’s Eve has been celebrated dating all the way back to 2000 B.C in ancient Babylon, Although the Babylonians did not celebrate in January but actually saw New years as a march tradition because that was the time of Akitu. Akitu was a 12-day long celebration during the planting of crops and the crowning of a new leader/king. The ball drop in New York began in 1907 and was inspired by sailor’s maritime ideas in order to adjust time zones.
Certain famous traditions such as kissing someone at new year’s was actually passed on by the Germans but is believed to date all the way back to the ancient Romans. It is believed that the person you encounter on new year’s would determine how your year will go and what it will entail. The Germans believed that kissing someone at midnight would strengthen relationships while not kissing someone would result in a year of loneliness and a lack of love. Dating back to the Renaissance, those who attended masquerade balls believed that kissing their date would relieve the evil spirits that the masks symbolized. The kiss would replace the evil with a purification and good spirit. Overall, the kiss at midnight is often seen as a Goodluck wish into the new year.
Another tradition used all over the world by all ages is new year’s resolutions. a new year’s resolution is a plan to make something happen or help improve your life in one way or another. This can be a goal or any kind of objective you would like to reach. Going back to Ancient Babylon, it was known that the Babylonians made resolutions to step into the new year with, these were promises they made in correlation with their God. If they were to fail, their resolution then they thought they would be released from Gods good graces. New year’s resolutions are now used as a universal promise to help start the year off on the right foot. For example, resolutions can range anywhere from eating healthier to improving your studying abilities.
New year’s 2023 will mark the end of an era but the beginning of a new and exciting year full of new opportunities.
