25+ Interesting Facts About New Year

New Year marks the end of an old year and a beginning of the new year.  People tend to celebrate the day according to their heart-said ways to make it memorable.  The celebrations get skyrocketed on the auspicious day of the year as most of the people consider it a new chance to change themselves for good.  Today, we are here with yet another interesting topic on New Year. We are going to talk on the Facts About New Year.  If you are interested in this topic, come join us in this ride.

Facts About New Year

Let us discuss about some lesser known facts about New Year that we are celebrating from ages. Most of you may not be aware of these New Year Facts and so we are sure you will be super surprised on knowing them.

1. The first ever New Year celebrations took place back in 2000 BC, which is ages ago.  The Mesopotamians started this tradition of celebrating New Year.
2. January 1st was never the New Year Eve at first.  Though it is, it was not practiced by many.  Romans used to celebrate March 1st as New Year.  There are still people who celebrate the eve in winter and summer according to their culture.
3. On New Year eve, many people from the sections of United States eat black-eyed peas with a belief that they bring good luck in the coming year.
4. Another interesting fun fact about New Year is that, there is this tradition called Estonian practice where people eat 7, 9 or 12 meals on the New Year eve. The belief behind the tradition is that the meals they eat will give them the strength of that many people in the coming year.
5. New Year is all about eating mouth-watering delicacies.  People belonging to different countries eat different popular delicacies according to their country’s cuisines.  Countries like Southern US, Ireland, Germany and Italy eat green leafy veggies and legumes and believe that it will bring financial fortune.
6. Denmark people throw dishes at the doorsteps of other people.  The meaning behind this tradition is that it will bring many new friends to the owner of the doorsteps.  If this tradition is followed anywhere else, they would literally end up in a quarrel.
7. Another custom followed by Denmark is making an evening meal named Kransekage.  In this custom, they prepare a dessert, which is a cone-shaped cake and it is decorated with flags and firecrackers.
8. Spanish people eat exactly 12 grapes, no less, no more on 31st midnight.  While eating grapes, they make wishes to the god.  People following this tradition believe that it would bring good luck to them.
9. In Japan, on the occasion of the New Year bells are rung for 108 times in Buddhist Temples around the country.  They do it as a sign of welcoming the New Year God named Toshigami.
10. Greek people hang onions to their doors on the New Year eve as a tradition.  They do it with a belief that it will bring good luck to the children in house.
11. Another tradition that Greek people follow is breaking pomegranates at their doorsteps.  Similar to the other traditions of different countries, this tradition is also believed to bring good luck and happiness.
12. On the 31st night of December, at the Australia’s Sydney Harbour, the shoreline which is 40 miles long is jammed by more than million people.  People gather there to watch the fireworks that go on air right in the midnight.
13. New Year is not called as New Year in Belgium.  They call it Sint Sylvester Vooranvond. People over there prepare champagne and children write letters to parents with good wishes and lots of love.
14. Finnish people have this unique tradition that they follow in the New Year day.  They call the tradition as molybdomancy. The tradition involves telling fortunes and in the name of it they melt led in a small pan and the melted solution is put into a cold water bowl.  The metal then turns into solid form and the shape that it forms into is used to predict the fortune of the person in the coming year.
15. It is decided by the Roman Catholic Church to celebrate the New Year on 1st January every year.  The day was marked according to Georgian Calendar.
16. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar accepted to celebrate the New Year on 1st January.  Nevertheless, it was adopted by England and the American province of England in 1752.
17. The name of the month January is derived from a two-faced God named Janus.  The God has one face looking front and the other looking back.
18. Many people make serious resolutions on the day of New Year Eve.  Some sections of society even consider it as a tradition and give up on their bad habits.  While few take new promises before God, few take promises to themselves.
19. Exchanging gifts on New Year Eve also dates back to ancient times.  Back in time, Persians used to gift eggs on New Year which means productivity.
20. When we think of Japan, the first thing that strikes our mind is noodles.  On the New Year day, Japanese eat long noodles with a belief that they will have long life.
21. Pork is considered as a mandatory food on the New Year day by the people of Portugal, Hungary, Austria and Cuba as they believe that it denotes prosperity.
22. People of Greece, Mexico and Netherlands prepare or buy ring-shaped pastries and cakes on the New Year eve which marks that the year has come to a full circle.
23. The most common way that people around the globe celebrate New Year is by consuming alcohol.  Not just in America, but in all other countries people take alcoholic beverages to celebrate the New Year.
24. America also follows the Rose Bowl tradition which is not seen anywhere in the world.  Under this tradition, 18 million flowers are exhibited with floats.
25. People make resolutions on the New Year day, but most of the resolutions are pretty common for almost half of the population.  They include losing weight, save money, wake up early etc.
26. Dutch people follow this custom of burning Christmas tree and putting on fireworks on the New Year eve.  They belief behind this tradition is that, burning Christmas tree denote removing the old and putting on fireworks means welcoming the new.
27. Times Square followed tradition of the New Year Ball in the New Year City is viewed by zillions of people across the world.  The ball starts its oscillation at sharp 11:59 PM for a minute and hits the ground sharp at 12 signaling the New Year.

These are some of the Interesting Facts About New Year.  We hope you enjoy reading these facts.  For more exciting stuff, bookmark our website newyearwiki.com and visit us often.