New Year Celebrations Around the World
New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.
- Hamilton Wright Mabie
One of the oldest holidays that find its origin in the harvest festival of ancient Babylon. This festival was eleven days long and was to celebrate planting of new crops. It started on March 23rd and meant freedom for all, during which King went away, only to return royally after the festival ended and people started work again. It was Roman emperor Julius Caesar, who invented the solar Julian calendar in 46 B.C. and assigned January 1 as the New Year Day. New Year traditions and celebration differ all over the world. Japanese New Year begins with everybody laughing at the exact moment to attract happiness to their homes and people hang a straw rope in front of their houses so that good luck can climb through the windows easily.
In British Columbia, Canada, swimming in the ice-cold water like a polar bear on New Year Day is said to bring in good luck. Greeks call New Year Day as Festival of Saint Basil and exchange gifts while Scottish know is as Hogmanay and burn barrels of tar as the symbol of Old Year and roll them through the streets. Chinese New Year is celebrated on the day of the new moon that falls between January 17th and February 19th and is known as Yuan Tan. In China, a street procession known as the Festival of Lanterns is taken out on this day. Vietnamese New Year is known as Tet Nguyen Dan and is celebrated between January 21st and February 19th and freeing a carp fish on this day, is said to bring good luck in Vietnam. Americans organize New Year parties for families and friends, take out parades and watch football. The common theme in all New Year celebrations remains hope and happiness all over the world.
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