New Year Traditions

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

The oldest known New Year’s Celebration was 4000 years ago when Babylon partied for eleven days every year at the start of spring. In 153 BC the Roman senate established January 1 as the official start of the New Year. BTW, January is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus who looks forward and back and presides over beginnings and endings, rather appropriate for New Year. The early Christian church from 567 AD through the Middle Ages condemned the celebration of New Year as pagan. Modern celebration resumed about 400 years ago.

The Babylonians also began the tradition of making New Year’s Resolutions. A common resolution 4000 years ago was to return borrowed items. The Greeks first associated a Baby with the New Year as part of the death and rebirth cycle of the god of fertility (and wine), Dionysus. In the fourteenth century the Germans added a sash to the baby with the year on it.

In many cultures the goal of the New Year’s Eve is to ensure LUCK throughout the New Year with the first day setting a pattern for those that follow. As the year starts, so may the year continue with friends, family and cheer amidst plenty of food.

In Great Britain the custom of first footing is practiced. The first visitor to the house after midnight represents the luck you will have. The dark haired man bringing a gift like money, bread, or coal will ensure the family has have plenty of these in the year to come. The first person must not be blond, red-haired, or a woman, as these are considered bad luck.

In Germany a bit of food eaten on New Year's Eve is left on their plate until after Midnight, as a way on ensuring a well stocked larder in the coming year.

Oftentimes the party food consists of symbols for luck. The Dutch believe rings are lucky (=wealth or completion) so they consume donuts. In the southern US black-eyed peas and ham (hog) are both considered lucky and consumed together. Cabbage is lucky because the leaves look like paper currency. Italians eat long spaghetti to symbolize long life. The Portuguese and Spanish eat twelve grapes as the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve. The grapes ensure twelve happy months.

Bottom Line

The list here barely scratches the surface of New Year traditions. For instance, one of the most popular traditions in Ecuador is to wear yellow underwear to attract positive romantic energies for the New Year. Check out parentdish or worldbook or wikipedia for more traditions.

PS

A New Year’s tradition with the media is making predictions for what’s ahead. I like this site of 15 Failed Predictions. For example:

"It will be years --not in my time-- before a woman will become Prime Minister."--Margaret Thatcher in 1969, became Prime Minister in 1979

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”--Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 (of course is was thinking of the room sized computers back then)

"Reagan doesn’t have that presidential look." --United Artists Executive rejecting Ronald Reagan as the lead in 1964 film, The Best Man