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Lang Syne"
is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert
Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early
variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the
modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means
"old long ago," or simply, "the good old days.""Auld
Lang Syne" is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking
country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert
Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early
variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the
modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means
"old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year
was begun in Greece around 600 BC It was their tradition at that time to celebrate
their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the
annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used
a baby as a symbol of rebirth. The use of an image of a baby with a New Years
banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America
by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century. Other traditions
of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions, which also dates back
to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise
to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution
was to return borrowed farm equipment.
The first rooftop celebration atop One Times Square took place in 1904, complete with
a fireworks display. The New York Times produced this event to inaugurate its
new headquarters in Times Square and celebrate the renaming of Longacre Square
to Times Square. The first Ball Lowering celebration atop One Times Square was
held on December 31, 1907 and is now a worldwide symbol of the turn of the New
Year, seen via satellite by more than one billion people each year. The original
New Year's Eve Ball weighed 700 pounds and was 5 feet in diameter. It was made
of iron and wood and was decorated with 100 25-watt light bulbs.
It
was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming
year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few
minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often
last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once
believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck
or bad luck the rest of the year. Special New Year foods are also thought to bring
luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck,
because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle.
For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring
good fortune.
Many
parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes
are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other
legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its
meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another
"good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage
leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper
currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.
~From:
Wilstar.com
