New Year’s Day is observed on January 1 – Who established this tradition?

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The early Roman calendar, which was thought to have been developed by Rome’s founder Romulus in the eighth century B.C., had 10 months and 304 days, with each new year beginning at the vernal equinox. The months of Januarius and Februarius are considered to have been added by a later ruler named Numa Pompilius. The calendar began to drift away from the sun over the ages, and in 46 B.C., the emperor Julius Caesar made the decision to correct the issue by meeting with the most eminent astronomers and mathematicians of the day. He introduced the Julian calendar, which is very similar to the more recent Gregorian calendar that is now used by the majority of nations worldwide.

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Caesar changed the calendar, making January 1 the first day of the year, in part to commemorate Janus, the Roman deity of beginnings, whose two faces gave him the ability to see both the past and the future. Romans observed the holiday by making sacrifices to the god Janus, exchanging presents, adorning their homes with laurel branches, and going to wild celebrations. Pope Gregory XIII restored January 1 as New Year’s Day in 1582 after Christian authorities in medieval Europe briefly replaced it with days with greater religious significance, such as December 25 (the anniversary of Jesus’ birth) and March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation).

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Throughout antiquity, calendars were constructed by civilizations all over the world, and most of them tied the beginning day of the year to an astronomical or agricultural event. For instance, the annual flooding of the Nile in Egypt signaled the start of the year at the same time that Sirius rose. The second new moon following the winter solstice coincided with the first day of the Lunar New Year, commonly known as Chinese New Year.

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Who was the first to declare their goals for the next year?

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Since at least 4,000 years ago, people have made resolutions to alter their behavior in the coming year, whether it be by getting in shape, giving up undesirable habits, or learning new skills. It is believed that the ritual originated among the ancient Babylonians, who made vows in order to win the gods’ favor and begin the year on the right foot. (They would purportedly promise to repay loans and give back farm machinery.)

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The long-standing custom of violating one’s newly established resolutions within a few months—a fate that, according to statistics, befalls the majority of would-be reformers—likely emerged shortly after.

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When did the first ball ring in the new year in Times Square, New York?

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Every New Year’s Eve at midnight, a highly lit ball that is suspended from the One Times Square building is watched by an estimated 1 billion spectators worldwide. The New York Times newspaper moved to what was then known as Longacre Square in 1904, and after convincing the city to rename the area in its honor, the neighborhood became the site of the now-famous celebration. The publisher’s owner hosted a boisterous celebration with a sophisticated fireworks show at the end of the year.

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An electrician created a wood-and-iron ball that weighed 700 pounds, was illuminated with 100 light bulbs, and was dropped from a flagpole at midnight on New Year’s Eve when the city forbade fireworks in 1907. The iconic orb has been lowered practically every year since, upgraded throughout the years, and now weighs close to 12,000 pounds. In more recent years, other American towns and localities have created their own variations of the Times Square tradition by planning public deliveries of products like pickles (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania) and possums (Tallapoosa, Georgia) at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

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What cuisines are popular during the New Year?

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People enjoy food and snacks at New Year’s Eve parties and events all around the world in the belief that they will bring them luck for the new year. Right before midnight, individuals in Spain and several other Spanish-speaking nations eat a dozen grapes to represent their expectations for the upcoming months. Legumes, which are considered to resemble coins and portend future financial success, are frequently included in traditional New Year’s dishes around the world. Examples include lentils in Italy and black-eyed peas in the southern United States.

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New year – New me? Or New year – Same me? Either way – we love you, Kansas City. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming sales.

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Happy New Year from us at BusyBeever.com