It’s December 31st and time to plan how you will ring in the New Year. This year is the start of a new decade as we enter 2020! Whether you participate in one of the many traditional plans or a quiet night at home, we wish you a Happy New Year!
It is said that 22 percent of Americans will fall asleep before midnight. Will you make it late enough to watch the classic New York City ball drop? At midnight the traditional song “Auld Lang Syne” is sung. Auld Lang Syne means “old long ago” by Scottish poet Robert Burns. Most people do not know all the words but hum along loudly enough to get by.
Kissing someone at midnight is said to bring good luck. According to English and German folklore, the first person you encounter in a New Year — and the nature of this encounter — sets the tone for the rest of the year. A kiss is about strengthening ties you wish to maintain in the future. Whether a romantic kiss or a hug with close friends, the new year is a great time to strengthen ties amongst loved ones.
Eating collard greens and black-eyed peas is another foodie tradition in the south. It was believed that the black-eyed peas symbolized coins and eating them insured economic prosperity for the coming year, wrote Frederick Douglass Opie, a food historian, in his blog Food As A Lens.
Many of the nation’s larger cities host fireworks on New Year’s Eve. China invented fireworks and is also one of the first countries to take part in New Year’s celebrations due to its time zone. It’s believed that the noise of the fireworks scares evil spirits and misfortune.
Many people use the new year as a time to set resolutions. Making resolutions are goals to improve one’s life and things you long to happen in the new year. Common resolutions include diet, exercise, quitting bad habits, and other issues concerning personal wellness. A prevailing view is that the first day of the year is a clean slate to start over.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day are a popular day for parades. For instance, the New Year’s Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, California to kick off the Rose Bowl. Watching college football is a familiar activity on New Year’s Day in America watching the top teams battle it out for a bowl title.
So get your champagne ready to toast, your confetti ready to throw and your noisemakers ready to shake! It’s time to celebrate your gratefulness for the past year’s blessings whether its with tradition or non-traditional activities. Many nations and cultures have their own characteristic way of celebrating. However you wish to celebrate, we wish you much health, success, and happiness in 2020!
