For many Americans, New Year’s Eve is celebrated by watching “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” and watching the ball in Times Square drop as the clock approaches midnight. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the coming of the new year in this fashion? It’s a deep-rooted tradition in human history. The first New Year’s Eve celebration can be traced to the ancient Babylonians 4,000 years ago. This would have been well before our current calendar was established, so their festivities did not take place in January. Instead, they celebrated in March during the first new moon following the vernal equinox. They held a massive religious festival called Akitu consisting of various rituals over 11 days. During this time, they crowned a new king or renewed their current ruler’s divine mandate. THE TRUTH BEHIND NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATIONS NEW YEAR’S DAY USED TO BE IN MARCH?
Ashley and Barry Otwell on the day they
Cli
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New Year’s Day wouldn’t be celebrated in January until Julius Caesar created his own calendar in 46 B.C. As January was named after the Roman god of beginnings, Janus, it only made sense that the new year began on the first day of January. The Romans celebrated the occasion by exchanging gifts, decorating their homes with laurel branches, and attending parties. The most time-honored New Year’s tradition in America is the New York City ball drop. The first ball was constructed using wood and iron. It was decorated with 100 25-watt light bulbs and weighed only 700 pounds. In comparison, the current ball has 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles illuminated by 32,256 LEDs. It weighs nearly six tons and has become a permanent fixture in Times Square. Although most countries celebrate New Year’s Day at the beginning of January, quite a few countries use a different date. China’s New Year follows the lunar calendar and can fall anywhere between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21. India celebrates the beginning of the new year in April, as does Sri Lanka.
HOME ALONE — IS YO
Consider These Details First Deciding if your child is ready to stay home alone is an important milestone every parent will face. It’s natural for a parent to worry when leaving their kids unsupervised. Although this concern will never fade away completely, you can prepare yourself and your children for this day with some planning. Child’s Age : Do you believe your child is mature enough to stay home alone? Will they be able to care for themselves and their younger siblings? Can they respond to an emergency? There isn’t a set age when children are ready to be home by themselves. It depends on your judgment and whether you’ve seen signs your child is prepared for that responsibility. • How Long You’ll Be Gone: Will you be out of the house for a Important things you should consider: •
While New York City’s countdown ball gets most of the attention in America during New Year’s Eve, plenty of other cities
couple of hours or all day? For the first time leaving your child alone, you only want to be gone for a few hours. This will help you see if they are ready to take on this responsibility and how they feel about being alone. • Safety Awareness: Would your child remember and follow the safety rules? Can they make good judgment calls on their own? Do they have common sense? Establish clear ground rules to keep them safe and trust they will follow those rules.
have special celebrations honoring the occasion. Some even have their
own ball drop! Find a way to celebrate the festivities and enjoy yourself on New Year’s Eve. It only comes once a year!
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