Are you getting ready to write some New Year's resolutions and have fun ringing in the New Year? Before you do, I wanted to share some fun and interesting facts about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations. You might be surprised at what you find out.
Resolutions – Ringing in the New Year is not a modern-day concept and was even documented in Babylonian times as a period of great celebration. Along with the feasts and celebrations in Babylon came the custom of making New Year's resolutions, the most popular of which during that time was returning borrowed farm equipment.
Since then, the date of the New Year has changed quite a bit, until it became established that January 1 would be the beginning of the New Year. The name January is derived from Janus, the name of the Roman god of beginnings. He is portrayed with two faces, one looks toward the future and the other looks back on the past.
Baby New Year – This tradition was begun in ancient Greece to celebrate the rebirth of their god of fertility. They would parade a baby around in a basket during their New Year's celebrations.
New Year's Song – Everyone has heard "Auld Lang Syne" played or sung at New Year's celebrations, but how did it become the official New Year's Eve song? Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish phrase that is translated as "old long since," meaning "times gone by" and the words are reminiscent of remembering good times and good friends. It was a popular Scottish song and was even published in a book by the poet Robert Burns. Guy Lombardo of Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians heard the song being sung by Scottish immigrants and played it at the New York City New Year's Eve party in 1929, making it famously popular as the New Year's Eve song ever since then.
We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld Lang syne.
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet for auld Lang syne.
Good luck foods– If you want good luck in the coming year, then you should eat black-eyed peas (a tradition for good luck here in the south), ham (a symbol of prosperity), and cabbage (for prosperity and wealth) on New Year's Day. But eating lobsters or chicken on New Year's Day will bring a year of bad luck.
312 Million– approximate population of people in the U.S. to ring in the New Year of 2012.
7% of those people will choose not to celebrate New Year's Eve / Day.
62% will stay home to celebrate the New Year.
750 Million photos were uploaded to Facebook during the New Year's Eve weekend in 2010.
Car Theft– More vehicles are stolen on New Year's Day than on any other day, so keep your car locked and safe.
1907– the year of the first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square. It was 700 pounds and consisted of iron, wood and 100 lights.
11,875 pounds– weight of the Waterford crystal New Year's Eve ball that is dropped in New York City's Times Square.
More than 30,000 lights adorning this huge crystal ball.
"Let there be love"– the crystal ball theme for ringing in the year 2012.
25% of people will abandon their New Year's resolutions after only two weeks!
50% will give up their resolutions halfway through the year.
Wearing red underwear on New Year's day is supposed to bring you good luck.