Coleman Poster, Junior
New Year's has always been a time to reflect on the goals you’ve achieved, all the while thinking of new achievements to reach.
Being celebrated at the tail end of each year, New Year's is a common holiday throughout the whole world. The holiday usually consists of fireworks, counting down to the next year, and ordering a pizza so that it’s delivered after midnight—that way it was ordered last year. However, this holiday wasn’t always the same.
About 4,000 years ago, the ancient civilization of Babylon celebrated the day after the vernal equinox- the day that the sun is up the exact amount of time as the moon, which occurs in late March. Other civilizations that had celebrated this holiday were the Egyptians, during the flooding of the Nile River, which occurred between June and September. This occurred along with the Chinese second new moon following the winter solstice. It wouldn’t be until 46 B.C. that Emperor Julius Caesar would propose the new year be celebrated on January 1st, although it was changed to the 25th of December for a more religious holiday during the medieval ages. 1582 would mark the final change back to January 1st for most countries that celebrate it, although some stayed with their own traditions, such as the Chinese.
Different countries celebrate in different ways, China being the most famous example of a unique New Years tradition. In Chinese culture, there are twelve animals to represent the new year, going in a specific order until the twelfth animal, in which the first animal is used again. The order of each animal goes in the order of Rat (Cleverness), Ox (Persistence), Tiger (Independence), Rabbit (Sincerity), Dragon (Energy), Snake (Wisdom), Horse (Easygoing), Goat (Creative), Monkey (Goofiness), Rooster (Hardworking), Dog (Loyalty), and Pig (Mannerism). The animal to represent 2022 is the tiger, meaning independence will be the focus of the year.
Meanwhile in Europe, Germany celebrates their version of New Year's. Although the name of their holiday has a different name, Silvester, the idea is still the same. Some of the unique things they do is drink Sekt, a German sparkling wine, and a special activity involving melting lead and pouring it into a water bucket. The pattern the lead forms is what things will happen that year: a heart/ring shape means a wedding, a ball shape means luck will roll your way, and a pig shape symbolizes a plentiful amount of food for the coming year.
In New York, a concert is held with different musicians playing their best songs. At the end of the night, a large glass ball begins to lower down at the final minute of the year. Once the ball reaches the bottom, fireworks begin to fly up, marking the end of one year and the beginning of a new one.
The things you can do depend on what you and your loved ones want. Counting down the minutes left until the new year, setting off fireworks, or making New Year’s resolutions are just some of the things you can do. Perhaps try something new or travel to a place you’ve never been before—it is all up to you.
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