People are crowded together in Time Square and everyone is looking up with anticipation. In the sky on top of a building, there is a beautiful ball that is slowly counting down the seconds until the new year comes. As the seconds creep lower and lower, people start counting down along with the image. The crowd booms with excitement as the final seconds approach. “Three, Two, One, Happy New Year!!!” Suddenly, the sky is filled with different colors and shapes from fireworks exploding and confetti falling down. Everyone is cheering for the beginning of a new year full of unknowns.
The New York City ball drop is one of the most popular New Year’s celebrations in America and millions of people come to watch it from all over the country. However, the ball drop is only one example of the celebrations that happen all over the world on New Year’s Eve and Day. There are so many diverse traditions and festivals happening in other countries around the world. Mrs.Giacona, FMHS Spanish teacher, said, “New Year’s is something that most people celebrate. Most people share that day, but how they celebrate it differs.”
According to history.com, the event has been celebrated throughout history in many ways. In ancient Babylon, 4000 years earlier, the first festival was held in honor of the new year’s arrival. The occasion was celebrated with an enormous religious ceremony called Akitu which lasted 11 days. The celebration centered around their supreme god, Marduk, and his son, Nabû. It marked the rebirth of nature and a different ritual was performed on each day of the event. During ancient times, the first day of the year correlated with an agricultural or astronomical event.
During the Roman Empire period, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, which is closely related to the Gregorian calendar that is used around the world today. Julius Caesar declared January 1st as the beginning of the new year and New Year’s was celebrated on this date in Ancient Rome. Romans provided sacrifices to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings. The month of January was named after Janus and this was part of the reason that Julius Caesar decided the new year would begin on January 1st. Additionally, Romans practiced the tradition of giving gifts to each other, throwing parties, and decorating their homes during New Year’s.
Many modern traditions come from these Roman practices. Mrs.Giacone said, “It’s neat how that is still part of modern life.” These traditions derived from the Romans’ belief that if they spent the first day of the year happily, then the rest of the year would also go well. Mrs. Giacona expressed her traditions by saying, “A lot of my family is in Italy, so we try to maintain some of those cultural traditions.” Traditions enable individuals to bond with each other over shared values. They are able to connect people to their cultures and their family, making them extremely important to humanity.
Today, New Year’s celebrations typically start on the 31st of December and go until the early hours of January 1st. There are many diverse New Year’s celebrations around the world. Mrs. Giacona explained the importance of learning different traditions by saying, “It’s never going to hurt you to learn about how people do things differently. It just opens up your perspective.” In Spanish-speaking countries, it is common for people to eat 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve before midnight. Each of the grapes represents a month of the year and eating the grapes gives people good luck for each month of the new year. In many European countries, people heat small pieces of lead and cast them in the cold. Then, they make a prediction for the new year based on the shapes that the lead forms. Additionally, numerous lucky foods are eaten worldwide. Some dishes have legumes in them. Legumes are thought to resemble coins and bring future financial success. Others contain pig, which is believed to represent progress and prosperity. Ring-shaped desserts depict the year coming in a full circle. In Norway, people practice the tradition of hiding an almond in rice pudding. Whoever finds the almond is said to have 12 months of good fortune.
Evelyn Chin, FMHS freshman, explained the holiday saying, “New Year’s represents a new beginning for people and celebrating with their friends and families makes the holiday even more meaningful for them.” The holidays are a time of celebration and collaboration. Everyone comes together to share their joy, values, and beliefs with others. These times bring us together, enabling people to develop deeper relationships with each other. Namely, understanding the importance of different traditions and celebrations is so important because it allows us to have respect for each other. Harboring respect for one another spreads trust and strengthens bonds within individuals. Chin sums it up best, “Holidays are when people come together and celebrate.”
