The New Year is an exciting time, full of hope and fun New Year parties. Ever wonder how the tradition of ringing in the new year with big celebrations got started? In this article, we will look at the history of celebrating New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, popular New Year traditions, as well as Galuppi’s Restaurant’s New Year party in Pompano Beach.
New Year celebrations started in ancient civilizations. The earliest record of a New Year celebration party took place in Mesopotamia in 2000 BC during the vernal equinox toward the end of March. In Babylon, there was an 11-day religious festival called Akitu to celebrate the New Year, and the Babylonian sky god Marduk defeating the evil sea goddess Tiamat.
Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Phonecians celebrated the New Year at the time of the fall equinox. In ancient Greece, the New Year was celebrated during the winter solstice.
We think of the new year as starting on January 1st, but it didn’t always! Here is when different cultures throughout time observed the changing calendar year:
The early Roman calendar had 304 days spread over 10 months. September through December were the seventh through tenth months on the early Roman calendar, so the Romans celebrated the New Year on March 1.
The first time that January 1st marked the New Year was in 46 BC after Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar (based on the sun), which replaced the Roman calendar (based on the moon).
Another reason why the date for the New Year was changed to January 1st was to honor the (literally) two-faced Roman god of beginnings, Jonus. The Romans honored Jonus by decorating their homes with laurel branches, exchanging gifts, and offering sacrifices.
In October 1582, Pope Gregory XIII changed the Julian calendar by removing October 4th through October 14th from the 1582 calendar. This new calendar was named the Gregorian calendar. On the Gregorian calendar, New Year’s Eve is on December 31.
At first, only the Catholic church followed the Gregorian calendar, and other European countries such as Denmark, Germany, Russia, and Scotland were slow to adopt the Gregorian calendar. Today, the Gregorian calendar is used throughout most of the world.
The New Year is celebrated differently around the world, but here are some of the most common New Year’s Eve celebrations and traditions you can try at your New Year party.
Today, watching the ball drop at midnight in Times Square in New York is a world-famous New Year tradition that is watched by millions of people in person and on TV. This tradition came from sailors using chronometers (also known as time balls) to set their timepieces, and they would navigate harbors by looking through a spyglass to find time balls thrown into the water at specific times.
The first time a time ball was dropped to ring in the New Year was in Portsmouth, England, in 1829. This was also done in 1845 in Washington, D.C. The tradition of dropping a time ball in Times Square began in 1907.
Food plays a major role in New Year celebrations all over the world, and some foods are believed to bring good luck in the New Year, such as:
In Spain and numerous Latin American countries, it is customary to eat a dozen grapes at midnight. The idea is to eat one grape for each stroke of the clock at midnight and for each of the twelve months of the year. If you don’t eat all 12 grapes as the clock chimes 12 times at midnight, you might not have a good year.
In Greece, Mexico, the Netherlands, and some other countries, people eat round cakes that represent the circle of life. Sometimes coins or trinkets are hidden in the cakes. If you receive a cake that contains trinkets or coins, it is supposed to give you good luck in the next year.
Legumes resemble old Roman coins and represent financial prosperity. The legume of choice varies by country: Americans eat black-eyed peas, while Italians eat lentils on New Year’s Eve.
Long noodles are supposed to increase health and longevity, but you have to make sure the noodles don’t break. In Japan, soba noodles represent a person’s journey from the old year to the New, Year and help them leave their regrets behind in the year that is coming to an end.
In these countries, pigs symbolize progress, so eating pork on New Year’s Eve is believed to bring prosperity.
Hanging Onions On Your Door
In Greece, hanging onions on the front door of your home is believed to bring about growth and rebirth, and children put onions on their parents’ heads to ensure good luck for the year.
Making a champagne toast to ring in the New Year comes from the Christian tradition of drinking wine, which symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
In France’s Champagne region, wine was used in baptisms and eventually became part of all religious gatherings.. Ancient people also raised their glasses and drank to health and honor.
Now, people all over the world take part in this tradition to celebrate the New Year.
In the Philippines, it is believed that opening doors and windows at midnight will release the negative energy from last year and bring positive energy for the upcoming year.
Sharing a kiss with your significant other or a friend at midnight is one of the most popular New Year traditions in the world. This tradition likely began during a pagan festival in ancient Rome called Saturnalia, which involved dancing, drinking, kissing, singing, sharing gifts, and socializing.
In English and German folklore, kissing someone at midnight on New Year’s Day is believed to bring good luck, but you should be careful who you kiss, as it is believed that each person who shares a kiss affects the outcome of the other person’s upcoming year.
The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions began nearly four thousand years ago, with the Babylonians making promises to the gods in the hope of having a good year.
Romans offered promises and sacrifices to Jonus to show good deeds, such as returning borrowed farm tools and settling debts.
For Christians, the practice of making New Year’s resolutions is an opportunity to learn from the end of the year and become better in the New Year.
Ringing in the New Year with fireworks and noisemakers began in China in the seventh century AD, when fireworks were used to bring good luck and prosperity and scare away evil spirits. Different colors and designs represent different kinds of fortune, such as fertility, health, and love.
“Auld Lang Syne” is a Scottish song that was written by Robert Burns in 1788. It was inspired by a Scottish folk song. “Auld Lang Syne” in the Scots language translates to “old long since” or “for the sake of old times” in English. The song is about old friends and memories, making it a good choice to sing as you say goodbye to the past year and welcome the new year. It is common for people to stand in a circle and hold hands while they sing this song.
In Latin America, it is believed that throwing water out the window symbolizes renewal and wards off evil spirits.
In a few Latin American countries, it is believed that prosperity and success can be manifested by wearing a certain color of underwear. For example, wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve is supposed to bring good fortune in love and relationships, while wearing yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve is supposed to bring happiness, luck, and money.
In Brazil, it is common to celebrate the New Year at the beach and wear white clothing to have fortune and peace next year.
Galuppi’s is a restaurant, event venue, and live music venue in Pompano Beach, Florida. We will be hosting a New Year’s Eve dinner party, so come celebrate the beginning of 2024 with us by enjoying dinner and drinks with family and friends at Galuppi’s indoors or on our dog-friendly patio.
Contact us at 954-785-0226 for more information, or to inquire about using our banquet hall for a special event in 2024.
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