There are different ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve
These traditions have interesting origins
Below are some fun facts about New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve is perhaps one of the biggest celebrations across the world, with millions of people usually celebrating with parties and fireworks displays.
Although this year’s event will likely be different from the celebrations that most people know, there are still simple yet fun ways to mark the beginning of the new year.
After a tough 2020, here are some fun facts about New Year’s Eve and some of the traditions to make you excited for the new year, courtesy of Live Science, Mental Floss, and Insider.
The song “Auld Lang Syne,” often sung on New Year’s Eve, was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788. As Live Science explained, Its title literally translates to “old long times” but means something like “once upon a time.”
Novelty New Year’s Eve glasses first came out in 1991, thanks to Seattle-based Peter Cicero and Richard Sclafani. That year, they only sold 500 pairs of them.
New Year’s Eve is Americans’ fourth favorite holiday after Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the fourth of July. Still, a small percentage of the American population tends to not celebrate the holiday at all.
New Year’s Eve is probably the “drunkest” evening of the year, with over 360 million glasses of sparkling wine typically consumed on Dec. 31, Insider said.
In some parts of the U.S., people have a tradition of eating 365 black-eyed peas for good luck.
People in Spain also have a tradition for good luck, but instead, they eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve. In a similar tradition in Italy, people eat some of their wine grapes so that they’ll be financially savvy and frugal.
The new year is typically welcomed with fireworks displays in many parts of the world. Apart from providing a stunning display to celebrate the event, setting fireworks is also a part of the tradition of warding off evil spirits with loud noises. In some parts of the world, people also bang drums and make other loud noises in the new year.
The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop first came about in 1907 because of a fireworks ban, and the famous ball has since evolved from a simple one with 100 25-watt light bulbs to a magnificent ball with thousands of crystals and over 30,000 LED lights.
The ball drop was previously suspended for two years during World War II because of concerns that its bright light would make American vessels easier to spot. The torch of the Statue of Liberty was also dimmed and the Brooklyn Dodgers’ nighttime games were stopped, Mental Floss said.
Other things are also traditionally dropped on New Year’s Eve, including a giant pickle, a 600-pound walleye fish replica, a “GlowTato,” and a ceramic flea.
In other parts of the world, there is a tradition of wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck.
Sydney’s New Year’s firework display is set to go ahead, marking the end of a difficult year Photo: AFP / PETER PARKS
