NEW YEAR'S EVE

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Today being New Year’s Eve in Oz, here are some facts, items of trivia and information about New Year around the world that may be of interest . . .

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The first ever New Year celebrations took place back in 2000 BC when the Mesopotamians started this tradition of celebrating New Year. The calendar of the ancient Near East was usually filled with festivals that honoured the gods, according to the season. One of the most famous of these festivals was the Akitu Festival of Babylon. The festival began on the first day of the month of Nisannu and lasted for 12 days. Nisannu, which coincides with April, traditionally marked the beginning of the year as it followed the vernal/March equinox.

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In ancient Rome, the new year initially began on March 15 (the so-called ides of March), because at that time consuls (the most important state officials) took their office. That day has also celebrated the festival of Anna Perenna – the Old Italian goddess of the New Year – which marked the beginning of spring. In order to celebrate this day, people went down to a valley near Rome (today’s piazza Euclide), where they celebrated and drank from the holy spring. Moreover, it was believed that if a woman made love in the valley for the first time, it would be a good omen for the future. No doubt an idea promoted by males.

In 153 BCE – for reasons not entirely clear – there was a change and consuls were appointed from that day on January 1. Julius Caesar and his calendar reform in 46 BCE established 1 January as the first day of the new year. This day became a New Year’s holiday, in Italy and in all provinces of the empire.

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On New Year eve, many people from the sections of United States eat black-eyed peas with a belief that they bring good luck in the coming year.

There are a couple of popular legends about how and why black-eyed peas came to symbolise good fortune in the U.S.:

• According to folklore, the Union Army raided the Confederate Army's food supplies during the Civil War. They took everything edible the soldiers had except for the peas and pork, believing they were meant for animals and not for humans. The Confederates were "lucky" to have the remaining food to get them through the cold winter.

• Another legend holds that slaves ate black-eyed peas on January 1, 1863, the day the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect because they were all they had. This, according to the story, is why black-eyed peas have been eaten every New Year's Day since.

Though black-eyed peas are associated with general good luck, most widely circulated traditions — for one reason or another — link that fortune with monetary gain. Here are a few possible explanations:

• "Eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year" is a popular Southern expression, according to The Farmers' Almanac. If you believe that theory, it makes perfect sense to dine on peas on January 1.

• Black-eyed peas swell when they're cooked, which symbolizes an expansion of wealth.

• Dried beans (kind of, if you squint) look like coins.

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In Denmark it is a good sign to find your door heaped with a pile of broken dishes at New Years. Old dishes are saved year around to throw them at the homes where their friends live on New Years Eve. Many broken dishes were a symbol that you have many friends.

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Another custom followed by Denmark is making an evening meal named Kransekage. In this custom, they prepare a dessert, which is a cone-shaped cake and it is decorated with flags and firecrackers.

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Spanish people eat exactly 12 grapes, no less, no more on 31st midnight. While eating grapes, they make wishes to the god. People following this tradition believe that it would bring good luck to them.

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In Japan, on the occasion of the New Year bells are rung for 108 times in Buddhist Temples around the country. They do it as a sign of welcoming the New Year God named Toshigami.

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Greek people hang onions to their doors on the New Year eve as a tradition. They do it with a belief that it will bring good luck to the children in house.

Another tradition that Greek people follow is breaking pomegranates at their doorsteps. Similar to the other traditions of different countries, this tradition is also believed to bring good luck and happiness.

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New Year is not called as New Year in Belgium. They call it Sint Sylvester Vooranvond. People over there prepare champagne and children write letters to parents with good wishes and lots of love.

There is a similar tradition in Italy called Sylvester Stallone . . . nahh, I made that up.

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Finnish people have a unique tradition that they follow in the New Year day they call molybdomancy. The tradition involves telling fortunes and in the name of it they melt led in a small pan and the melted solution is put into a cold water bowl. The metal then turns into solid form and the shape that it forms into is used to predict the fortune of the person in the coming year.

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Although in 46 BC, Julius Caesar decreed to celebrate the New Year on 1st January, nevertheless it was adopted by England and the American province of England in 1752.

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The name of the month January is derived from a two-faced God named Janus. The God has one face looking front and the other looking back.

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Exchanging gifts on New Year Eve also dates back to ancient times. Back in time, Persians used to gift eggs on New Year which means productivity.

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On New Year day, Japanese people eat long noodles with a belief that they will have long life.

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Pork is considered as a mandatory food on the New Year day by the people of Portugal, Hungary, Austria and Cuba as they believe that it denotes prosperity.

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The best known of Scotland's Hogmanay traditions, the first footing sees the first person to pass a home’s threshold after the bells (usually a tall, dark stranger for extra luck) who would bring gifts such as salt for food (health), coal for the fire (warmth), and something sweet. These strangers may also bring a bottle of whisky to share with a dram being poured to celebrate the new year.

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So famous that even Robert Louis Stevenson has written about them, Black Buns are a type of dense and rich fruit cake often made at this time of year in Scotland and used as the sweet for the ritual of first-footing.

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People of Greece, Mexico and Netherlands prepare or buy ring-shaped pastries and cakes on the New Year eve which marks that the year has come to a full circle.

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America also follows the Rose Bowl tradition which is not seen anywhere in the world. Under this tradition, 18 million flowers are exhibited with floats.

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Dutch people follow this custom of burning Christmas trees and putting on fireworks on New Year’s Eve. They belief behind this tradition is that, burning Christmas trees denotes removing the old and putting on fireworks means welcoming the new.

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