The Long History of New Year Celebrations

One of the oldest and most universally observed traditions, New Year’s Eve festivities are celebrated across a variety of social, cultural, and religious groups. The earliest known records of New Year’s celebrations can be traced back to the Babylonians and Assyrians of Mesopotamia about 2000 BCE. Other ancient cultures celebrated the holiday with practices and symbols that are still used today. For example, in ancient Greece the old year was represented by an old man, while a baby symbolized the upcoming new year. Although different cultures celebrated on a variety of different days and in different seasons, many began to celebrate New Year’s Eve on December 31 after the Gregorian calendar was established in 1582. However, cultures that follow a lunar calendar celebrate the start of the new year at a different time, including February in Tibet and March or April in Thailand. New Year’s Eve celebrations vary widely across the globe. Many involve eating specific foods to ensure luck and prosperity for the upcoming year, such as eating 12 grapes in Spain and dipping apples in honey for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Some celebrations involve massive public gatherings at places such as Times Square in New York City and Trafalgar Square in London. And others involve specific traditions, such as spending New Year’s Eve at the beach in Brazil or gifting money in red envelopes to others during Chinese New Year.