Winter Holidays–New Year’s Day

Another widely celebrated winter holiday is the New Year’s Day.

Regardless of countries and cultures, New Year is one of the most universally celebrated festivities around the world.  It falls on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar and is the day that marks the beginning of a new calendar year.

In many countries, New Year celebrations include partying with family and friends, launching fireworks, counting down on New Year’s Eve, and making New Year Resolutions.  The most commonly sung song for English-speakers on New Year’s Eve is “Auld Lang Syne”.  It literally translates as “old long since” and means “times gone by.”  After the countdown, friends and family gather and sing it together.  The song asks whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to remember people of the past with fondness.

Auld Lang Syne

Besides the common celebrations, some countries also have their own special traditions.  Here are some interesting ones:

In the United States, the most famous tradition is the dropping of the New Year Ball in Times Square, New York City at 11:59 p.m.  An estimated one million people gather in Time Square to watch the Ball make its one-minute decent, arriving exactly at midnight.  Another American tradition is the “Rose Bowl” football game proceded by the Tournament of Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

• For details about Time Square countdown celebration, go to the Time Square Alliance website: http://www.timessquarenyc.org
• For details about the Rose Parade, check out http://www.tournamentofroses.com/
• If your family is not planning a trip out of town, you may want to go to one of these local New Year’s Eve celebrations here in the San Fransico Bay Area: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/feature?section=news&id=6572465

In Spain, their New Year’s ritual is to eat twelve grapes at midnight to secure twelve happy months in the coming year.

In Scotland, birthplace of the traditional New Year’s song “Alud Lang Syne”, one of the interesting traditions is called “first-footing”.  Shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve, neighbors bring along a gift of coal for the fire or shortbread when then visit each other and give New Year wishes.  It is considered very lucky if you get a tall, dark and handsome man to enter your house first.

In Philippines, the most significant traditions is the midnight mass or media noche.  Firecrackers also have a big role in celebrating the New Year.  Skies are lit with all sorts of firecrackers which signifies prosperity and happiness all through the year.

In the Netherlands, the Dutch would burn bonfires of Christmas trees on the street and launch fireworks.  The fires are to get rid of the old and welcome the new.

In Lebanon, gifts are exchanged, homes are embellished, families and friends are gathered.  Once the time strikes at twelve midnight, people greet each other and celebrate it with music and feasts.

In Japan, the New Year is the most important holiday and a symbol of renewal.  Among the traditions, I think the most interesting one is the 108 strikes of the gongs at the Buddhist temples.  It is a symbol to expel 108 types of human weakness.

In India, people hold festive parties in all kinds of places wearing vivid new dresses.  The thought behind the gathering is to say good-bye to the old year and greet the new one.

In Greece, the New Year’s day is also the “St. Basil” festival.  One of the traditional food Vassilopitta (or St. Basil’s cake) will have a gold coin baked inside it.  Whoever eats a cake with the coin inside will be especially lucky during the coming year.

Saying “Happy New Year” in other languages

Want to try saying the New Year greetings in other languages to impress your friends?   Follow this link to a list 35 differnt ways to say “Happy New Year”: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0923039.html

Happy New Year!—in internationl languages
~~Presented by our friends from Centerville Library~~

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