It is a tradition for people to stay up late on December 31st so they can say “Happy New Year!” as soon as it’s midnight and January 1st arrives.Some cultures divide a year differently than we do. Their months may be longer or shorter than ours and have different names. Some peoples celebrate the new year, not in the middle of winter, but in the spring. Or the fall.Some cultures ignore the 365 days it takes for the Earth to circle the Sun, and instead, focus on the phases of the moon. The Chinese and the Hebrew calendars are two examples.But most peoples, no matter how they organize their calendars and when their old year ends, celebrate the new year’s arrival. We certainly do.People in America often sing a Scottish folk song, “Auld Lang Syne,” at midnight on December 31. The words ‘auld lang syne’ mean ‘old long since.’ In modern English, we might say, ‘the good old days.’ The song is about looking back and remembering people and events from our past.In some communities, people will set off fireworks, the way they do on the Fourth of July.Many homes and businesses will hang a green plant called mistletoe. Anyone who stands under it on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day gets kissed.People like to start the new year off by making New Year’s resolutions, such as losing weight, getting fit, quitting a bad habit, starting a good habit, or learning a new skill.Many people like to go out for the evening and join large gatherings or parties on December 31st. One of the largest takes place in Times Square in New York City, where a giant, lighted ball is slowly lowered down a pole, arriving at the bottom at exactly midnight. People like watching this on TV.Children, of course, want to stay up late along with the adults. Some families allow this and some don’t. A fun tradition for young children is called Happy Noon Year. On December 31st, families have a special lunch-time party for the children and count down the seconds til noon, the same way adults do at midnight.Some families have a slumber party on December 31st. Blankets and pillows are brought into the living room. There are movies, board games, snacks, stories, and other fun activities to pass the hours until midnight. If anyone falls asleep, they can be awaken just before the new year arrives.People in the United States are not the only ones who do fun things at New Year’s.In Denmark, it is traditional to stand on a chair just before midnight. When the clock strikes twelve, people jump off the chairs, as if jumping into the new year.In Colombia, it’s a tradition to carry empty suitcases around the block at midnight in hopes this will bring good travels during the year.In Spain, it is a custom to eat twelve grapes to count down the last twelve seconds of the old year.In Brazil, people dress all in white to bring good luck and peace, and to ward off evil spirits.In China, people clean their houses and decorate it with new items that are red. They also like to have parades with pretend dragons and lions that dance about.In Japan on New Year’s Eve, all bells are rung 108 times.In Chile, people believe that wearing yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve will bring good fortune and money throughout the new year. During December, many stores throughout Chile will stock yellow underwear—a lot of yellow underwear—because so many people will buy it. (Other Latin American countries have the tradition of yellow underwear as well.)No matter how you choose to celebrate the arrival of the new year—by going to bed early and getting a good night’s sleep, going to a party, wearing special underwear, eating grapes, jumping off chairs, or some other way—there’s no doubt that people always seem happy to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one.Fun Facts:• Yellow is not the only color for New Year’s underwear. In some countries, yellow underwear brings good luck; red underwear means you will find love, and white underwear means you will have inner peace. Black underwear, however, brings bad luck.• The ball slowly dropping in Time Square has inspired other cities to drop things to bring in the new year. Nashville lowers a large musical note. Eastover, North Carolina lowers a three-foot-tall, 30-pound ceramic flea. Also in North Carolina, the Mt. Olive Pickle Company lowers a three-and-a-half foot glowing pickle. Mobile, Alabama lowers a 12-foot, 600-pound electric Moon Pie.• In Canada (as well as other places) there is a New Year’s Day event called a Polar Bear Plunge, in which people jump into freezing water.
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