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Celebrations for New Year begin from New Year’s Eve on 31st December. This is the last day of the Gregorian calendar and the day before New Year’s Day. The idea behind New Year’s Eve celebration is to bid adieu to the year gone by and give a warm welcome to the coming year. Popular way of celebrating New Year’s Eve is to party until the moment of the transition of the year at midnight.

New Year’s Eve is a public non-working holiday in several countries including France, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand, Mexico, Greece, the Philippines, and Venezuela.

New Year Eve Traditions
Tradition of celebrating New Year’s Eve vary in several parts of the world due to cultural variations. In most countries people cut cake as the clock strikes for midnight on New Year’s Eve and open champagne bottles to express their joys. Given here is a brief description of some of the other most popular and interesting traditions of New Year Eve celebrations.

Father Time and Baby New Year
A common image of New Year’s Eve celebration is the incarnation of Father Time - the old year represented by an old bearded man wearing a sash across his chest with the previous year printed on it. This Father Time hands over his responsibilities to the Baby New Year - the personification of New Year represented by a baby wearing a sash with the new year printed on it.

Auld Lang Syne
Inspired by an old Scottish tune, the song Auld Lang Syne (meaning ‘the good old days’) has become the National Anthem of New Year’s eve celebration. The song is traditionally sung at the midnight on the New Year’s Eve in almost all English speaking countries of the world. The lyrics to the song Auld Lang Syne were written by the poet Robert Burns and published after his death in 1796. Bursting of Firecrackers In most parts of the world, people welcome the New Year by bursting noisy firecrackers. Some even fire celebratory gun-shots. The tradition emerged from an ancient belief that noise and fire helped to dispel evil spirits and bring good-luck.

Greeting Happy New Year
Just as the clock strikes at midnight on New Year’s Day people start Greeting Happy New Year to everyone around. At several places there is also a tradition to kiss one’s beloved at midnight. It is said that kissing ensures affections and ties will continue all through the year. To dear ones staying in distant cities, greetings are sent over phone or through SMS and New Year greeting cards.

Popular New Year Eve Celebrations Around the World
Many countries take pride in their New Year’s Eve celebrations but New Year’s Eve of Times Square, Trafalgar Square and Sydney are most popular amongst them all.

New Year’s Eve at Times Square in New York City
New Year’s Eve celebration of Times Square, New York city is one of the most popular New Year’s eve celebrations around the world. The event is noted for the famous ball drop atop One Times Square. Every year, thousands of people from across the world descend upon Times Square to experience this traditional event.

New Year’s Eve at Trafalgar Square in London
This is yet another most popular New Year’s Eve celebrations. Each year thousands of revelers throng the Square to welcome the New Year to the sound of Big Ben’s famous chimes.

New Year’s Eve at Sydney, Australia
Sydney is said to be the world’s preferred destination for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Breathtaking firework display is said to be the major attraction that pull thousands of people to Sydney from all over the world. An estimated 80,000 firecrackers are shot from Sydney Harbour Bridge on the New Year’s Eve, offering a truly stunning view. The other major attraction is The Harbour of Lights Parade. It is a delightful sight to watch cruise boats covered in fairy lights cruise the centre of the harbour all night.

New Year is the world’s most popularly celebrated festival. Perhaps, everybody would like to know how these celebrations began, from where it originated and what is so important about the festival. Let’s give you an insight to the origin of this grand event in a brief form.

Origin of New Year dates back to the era of emperors. They thought of celebrating a special day which should dot a day for beginning and end of the year. First New Year celebrations were noticed in Mesopotamia around 2000 years. It was celebrated at the time of Equinox in mid-March by the Egyptians, Persians and Phoenicians while Greeks celebrated it on winter solstice.

Ancient New Year Calendar
First New Year celebrations were noticed in Mesopotamia around 2000 years. It was celebrated at the time of Equinox in mid-March by the Egyptians, Persians and Phoenicians while Greeks celebrated it on winter solstice.
As per the ancient Roman calendar New Year fell on March 1. This calendar just had ten months and March was the first month of the year. The calendar originated by the cycles of the moon, beginning in spring and ending with autumn planting.

Inclusion of Two Calendar Months
It was Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome who divided the year into twelve lunar months by adding the months of January and February. The New Year was shifted to January as it marked the beginning of the civil years in Rome. But this was not fully accepted by the people of Rome and they continued celebrating in the month of March only.

January 1- an Official Date of New Year Celebrations
The Roman emperor Julius Caesar officially declared January 1 to be a New Year in 46 B.C. Romans worshiped God Janus who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward. The month of January was named after this Roman God and it gave an idea to the emperor to establish January as a gate to the New Year. It is said Caesar celebrated January 1 - New Year by ordering the revolutionary Jewish forces to route back.

People began New Year celebrations on January 1 after many years. They ritualized the beginning of the year by acting and re-enacting the world of the past before peace proliferated. People learned January as first month of the year and with this the tradition of following Julian calendar.

Abolition of Roman New Year Date
In the medieval period, pagan festivals were given more importance and March 25 was announced as the beginning of the New Year. March 25 was called the Annunciation Day as on this day Mary got the news that she should be impregnated.

Later, the King of England ensured that Jesus’ birth December 25 should be commemorated as New Year.

Gregorian Calendar
About 500 years later, Pope Gregory XIII abolished the old Julian calendar and introduced Gregorian calendar which comprised of a leap year after every four years to maintain balance between seasons and calendar. Finally, in 1582, Gregorian calendar was set to celebrate New Year on the first day of January.

Tradition of welcoming the New Year by organizing feasts and celebrations has been carried forward since ancient times. Historians believe that New Year tradition were started by ancient Babylonians more than 4,000 years ago. Egyptians, Romans, Celts continued it and now the present generation cherish this tradition by celebrating New Year in the most extravagant manner.

Most countries across the globe celebrate New Year on January 1. This day officially became the first day of the year in 46 BC when Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar. However, many countries and communities follow different calendars and celebrate their New Year in an entirely different time of the year by following their own specific customs and traditions. Given here is glimpse of New Year traditions as observed on January 1 in countries following Gregorian calendar.

New Year’s Eve
Celebrations begin on the New Year Eve on December 31st. Hotels, restaurants, clubs and pubs organize New Year Eve balls and parties. People sing, dance and make merry. Fun events and contests are also organized to entertain the crowd. As New Year falls at the peak winter time in many countries bonfires are lit to keep the people warm. And just when the clock strikes for midnight firecrackers are burst to welcome the advent of New Year. People greet Happy New Year with a warm hug to every one around them. With loved ones and friends at a distance people exchange greetings through SMSs and phone calls. No wonder, phone network see maximum traffic at this time.

New Year’s Day Celebrations
To mark the auspicious beginning of New Year, people wear fresh new clothes and clean up their house. Many prefer to spend this day in the company of their family members and dear ones. People also visit their friends and exchange New Year Gifts and greetings with them. Restaurants, multiplexes and malls experience a busy time on New Year’s Day as many prefer to spend the day by watching movies and eating out with dear ones. There is also a trend of going out for picnics or to exotic tourist destinations to celebrate the day.

New Year’s Resolutions
One of the most popular New Year custom is to make New Year Resolution. The tradition is said to have been started by early Babylonians who resolved to start the New Year with a clean state by returning borrowed farm equipment. Even in present times, people make New Year resolutions. Though it has been noticed that most people fail to carry them forward beyond the first week of New Year. Some of the most popular New Year resolutions including promises to quit smoking, losing weight, waking up early and being punctual.

New Year’s Parades
In several countries, there is a popular tradition of organizing New Year Parades. In the United States, one of the most famous parades is the Tournament of Roses where the floats are all decorated with flowers. Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco and the New Year’s Day Parade of London are other most participated and talked about parades of the world. A large number of people throng the entire route of fun-filled parade to watch giant balloons, tableau and dancers in colorful costumes.

New Year’s Games
In many countries, people enjoy the New Year by indulging in games and sports. Athletics, football, cricket are some of the most popular New Year sports. In some countries, special tournaments are organized for New Year’s Day. Many participate while others enjoy them on TV. In households people recreate by participating in indoor games and activities.

New Year’s Day is perhaps the oldest of all holidays and celebrated everywhere in the world. New Year’s Day mark the end of one calendar year and beginning of another. The date of New Year’s Day varies in countries across the globe this is because different countries and communities follow different calendars. Most countries in the world have adopted Gregorian Calendar and celebrate their New Year Day on January 1. It is the celebrations of this New Year Day which we shall discuss under this section.

Celebrating the New Year Day people welcome the coming year and bid adieu to the old. People express their wish that the new year will be filled with health, happiness and prosperity for themselves and all their dear ones. Feasting and merry-making is an integral part of New Year’s Day celebrations.