As we prepare to enter 2015, many people will celebrate different
traditions passed down and learned for generations. Considering the title
of this article, the notion of “ringing in” refers to the traditional ringing of
bells at midnight, signifying the start of the New Year. This tintinnabulous
tradition is practiced around the world, but is mostly prevalent in Italy and
Japan. In Japan, bells are rung 108 times in alignment with the Buddhist
believe that the action brings cleanliness. This is just one example of the
many traditions celebrated around the world to signify the coming of the
new year.
Since we started with the ringing of bells, let’s continue exploring the
noise-making element of the holiday. Party horns and sirens are
frequently heard around the US, along with the familiar boom-pop of
fireworks. Traditions such as this go back to ancient Thailand, where guns
were fired to frighten off demons; early American Colonists practiced
similar actions by firing off pistols into the air at midnight. In China,
firecrackers and fireworks were first put into use in order to scare off evil
spirits and misfortune.