New Year’s Day is a national holiday across the world celebrated on January 1. The date follows both Gregorian and Julian calendar. The day is usually marked by parades, fireworks, parties, a look back at the last year, and welcoming the new year with future possibilities.
As we celebrate New Year’s Day around the world, here are some quick facts you should know about the day.
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- New Year’s Eve is celebrated on December 31 and New Year’s Day is celebrated on January 1.
- The first New Year’s celebrations date back to 2000 BC in Mesopotamia.
- The Gregorian calendar which marks January 1 as the new year day was adopted in 1582 by the Roman Catholic Church.
- The month January is named after Janus who is the god with two faces with one face looking forward and one looking backward.
- On New Year’s Day, people make resolutions to break some bad habits and adopt some good ones.
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- The traditions of the new year are usually believed to bring good luck for the coming year.
- In USA, many people eat black-eyed peas on this day as they are believed to be a symbol of good luck.
- On New Year’s Day, families gather together and celebrate with champagne, feasts, firecrackers, and more.
- According to some superstitions, if a tall dark-haired stranger walks through your door first, it is a sign of good luck.
- On New Year’s Day, the traditional food that are considered lucky to eat include circular shaped foods, cabbage, pork, and black eyed-peas.
- Auld Lang Syne is the traditional New Year’s Eve song sung at the stroke of midnight is various parts of the world.