New Year’s Traditions and Celebrations In many countries, New Year's Eve celebrations begin on December 31, and last until the early hours of January 1. Party goers frequently consume meals and snacks thought to bring good fortune in the coming year. People in Spain and several other Spanish-speaking countries eat a dozen grapes right before midnight, symbolizing their hopes for the months ahead. Traditional New Year's dishes in many parts of the world include legumes, which are thought to resemble coins and herald future financial success; examples include lentils in Italy and black-eyed peas in the southern United States. Pork is served on New Year's Eve tables in Cuba, Austria, Hungary, Portugal, and other countries because pigs represent progress and prosperity in some cultures. In the Netherlands, Mexico, Greece, and elsewhere, ring-shaped cakes and pastries, a sign that the year has come full circle, round out the feast. Meanwhile, on New Year's Eve in Sweden and Norway, rice pudding with an almond hidden inside is served; it is said that whoever finds the nut will have a year of good fortune. Watching fireworks and singing songs to welcome the New Year are also common worldwide customs, including the ever-popular "Auld Lang Syne" in many English-speaking countries. The practice of making New Year's resolutions is thought to have originated with the ancient Babylonians, who made promises in order to gain the favour of the gods and begin the year on the right foot. (They would allegedly promise to repay debts and return borrowed farm equipment.) The most famous New Year's Eve tradition in the United States is the midnight drop of a massive ball in New York City's Times Square. Millions of people around the world tune in to watch the event, which has occurred nearly every year since 1907. The ball itself has grown from a 700-pound iron-and-wood orb to a brightly patterned sphere 12 feet in diameter and weighing nearly 12,000 pounds over time. Various towns and cities across the United States have developed their own versions of the Times Square ritual, organising public drops of items ranging from pickles (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania) to possums (Tallapoosa, Georgia) at midnight on New Year's Eve. Eve has been used to refer to the evening before an event, usually a holiday, since the 1300s. New Year's Eve (December 31) is the day before New Year's Day (January 1), so New Year's Eve (December 30) is the day before New Year's Eve (December 31). People may observe New Year's Eve in order to get in the mood for New Year's Eve. New Year’s Eve message "Here's to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old; here's to what's yet to come and to the memories we cherish." "Have a prosperous New Year!" "I wish you a happy and healthy New Year." "May the coming year, bring your health, wealth, and happiness."
Author Farheen Lodhi Goodwill Students Ambassadors of Pakistan
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