New Year's Eve/Day

Date

December 31 / January 1

History and Origins

New Year's is one of mankind's oldest holidays. It has been celebrated different ways by different religions and nationalities. It has also been celebrated all different times of the year, but in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII officially proclaimed that New Year's would be celebrated on January 1st every year. The purpose of the holiday has always been to say farewell to the old year, which was filled with sins and sorrow, and to say hello to the new year, which will be filled with joy and opportunities. Now in order to say goodbye to the old year, most Americans stay awake until midnight on New Year's Eve. Many people attend parties to celebrate with friends. Often people count down the ten seconds before midnight to be certain everyone sees the exact moment. Then at exactly midnight, everyone yells, screams, blows horns, or rattles some kind of noise maker. Legends say that the noise will scare away the devils and evil spirits who lived in the old year and keep them from coming into the new one.

Common Traditions

Kiss family and friends.
Sing the song "Auld Lang Syne" by Robbie Burns. Many people no longer know the words to this song, to they just hum along as the music is played. It is written in a very old Scottish style, and many of the words are words native speakers don't even know. The song tells about two friends who have fun and play together. They make a wish that they will always be friends.
Watch the ball drop on Times Square in New York. Every year a huge metal ball is covered with lights and raised on a pole on the roof of a skyscraper in Times Square. Above the ball, in lights, it says the old year (1999). At exactly midnight, the ball falls down, and at the bottom of the pole, the new year suddenly lights up (2000). This is shown on television around the country as midnight comes to each time zone.
Make New Year's resolutions. The most common are to lose weight and to quit smoking.
In the South, people eat black-eyed peas and rice for good luck.
Watch American football games.
Watch the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. This is a parade where hundreds of huge floats are made completely of flowers.

Important Vocabulary

Farewell (noun): goodbye; this is an older word that is less common than goodbye

Sorrow (noun): sadness; to feel very bad about something

Opportunities (noun): a time when everything is right and someone can do something that is good

Legends (noun): a common story that has been told over and over; often these stories are told by parents and grandparents to children

Times Square (noun): a very famous place in New York City where there are a lot of theaters and stores

Skyscraper (noun): a very tall building

Resolutions (noun): These are promises to break bad habits or start good ones.

Black-eyed peas (noun): a vegetable

Floats (noun): a low, flat vehicle that is decorated with flowers, paper, balloons, and other things. It is driven down the street while people stand or sit on the sidewalk to watch. Often there are special people (famous people or politicians) that ride on these floats.

Parade (noun): an event where people march down the street to celebrate a special day or person. Parades usually include floats, bands, clowns, balloons, etc.

Memories Written by Native Speakers

Books and Movies

When Harry Met Sally
The Cutting Edge

Back to Holiday Main

Last modified on April 27, 1999.