How celebrating New Year’s began

According to History.com, people have been celebrating New Year’s for at least four millennia. The earliest celebration that we know of was over 4,000 years ago, although it was not on Dec. 31. For the Babylonians, the start of a new year was in March, when the first new moon followed the equinox. Like how many celebrate with a party today, the Babylonians celebrated by holding a festival. This festival was carried out over eleven days.

Interestingly enough, back then, the new year was not the same for all civilizations. The different civilizations had different calendars, often picking their start of a new year based upon a different event. In Egypt, the new year was celebrated by the flooding of the Nile, but for the Chinese, the second new moon was the beginning of their new year. 

Today, most countries use the Gregorian calendar, created by Julius Caesar. This calendar was created in an attempt to get the majority of civilization on the same calendar. Caesar was ultimately the one who decided Jan. 1 would be the first day of the new year. The month of January is actually a tribute to him. 

The American tradition is usually to begin celebrating New Year’s on Dec. 31, continuing into the morning hours of Jan. 1. In Spain and other Spanish speaking countries, the tradition is to eat a dozen grapes. This is done to symbolize the hopes and goals for the new year. In both Norway and Sweden, rice pudding is made with a single almond hidden inside. Whoever finds the almond is said to have a year of good fortune.

In the United States, the dropping of the Times Square ball in New York City is the most iconic of traditions. The ball has dropped every year since 1907. The ball is said to weight over 12,000 pounds. The Times Square ball inspired both the dropping of a pickle in Pennsylvania and the dropping of a peach in Georgia.