The Interesting History of New Year ’ s
By : Rachel Linden
The Ball has dropped every year since 1907 except for two : 1942 and 1943 , during World War II . The most popular places to celebrate New Year ’ s in the U . S . are Las Vegas , Disney World and New York City .
The custom of making New Year ’ s resolutions is most common in the West , but it also happens all over the world . The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year ’ s resolutions 4,000 years ago . They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the New Year during the 12 day festival known as Akitu the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king . They made promises to the gods to pay their debts in return of any objects they had borrowed . These promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year ’ s resolutions .
In ancient Rome , the emperor Julius Caesar tinkered with the calendar and established January 1 as the beginning of the New Year circa 46 B . C . For Christians , the first day of the New Year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one ’ s past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future .
New Year ’ s has been related to fortune , luck , and superstition for many years . A kiss at the stroke of midnight signifies the purification of New Years . In the U . S . it is thought that the first person you come across in the New Year could set the tone for the next 12 months . This applies to couples , as well . If a couple celebrating New Year ' s together does not kiss , the future of the relationship could be in jeopardy .
Some fun numbers and facts about New Year ’ s : 1 million people gather in New York City to watch the ball drop Close to 1 billion people watch around the world on TV 44 % of American Adults plan to kiss someone on the stroke of midnight 61 % say a prayer on New Year ’ s 22 % admit to falling asleep before midnight At midnight 2,000 pounds of confetti are dropped on the crowd at Times Square 2,688 crystals cover the ball There are 32,000 led lights on the ball The ball weighs 11,875 LBS and is 12 feet in diameter 360 glasses of sparkly champagne are poured during New Year ’ s celebrations
45 % of Americans make New Year ' s resolutions ( some popular goals are to lose weight , get organized , spend less money / save more , stay fit / healthy , & quit smoking )
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