December 31st, or New Year’s Eve is the final evening of the Gregorian calendar year. It is also a night for merry-making to welcome in the new year. Festivities usually continue on into the early hours of January 1st – New Year’s Day.
Julius Caesar Introduces The Julian Calendar and January 1st As The Beginning of The New Year
Initially, the Roman calendar was made of 10 months and 304 days. The Roman new year originally began at the vernal equinox. This occurred towards the end of March on a day where there was an equal amount of both sunlight and darkness. In 46 B.C. the Roman emperor Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar. He consulted with the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians of the time. The Julian calendar closely resembled the Gregorian calendar used by most countries around the world today.
One of the changes instituted with the Julian calendar was beginning every new year on January 1st. Romans celebrated the dawning of the new year by offering sacrifices to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings; exchanging gifts with one another; decorating their homes with laurel branches; and attending parties.
The United States and The Ball Drop In New York City’s Time Square
In the United States, the most iconic New Year’s tradition is considered the dropping of the ball in New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Even if someone doesn’t live in New York City, most Americans can watch the event from their TV screens.
New York City used to usher in the New Year by ringing the bells of Trinity Church in Manhattan at midnight. In 1904 the city’s New Year celebration moved to the New York Times building; fireworks were let off. However, things failed to go as plan. When the fireworks were let off, hot ash rained down on the streets and spectators. This led to the New York Police Department putting a ban on fireworks.
Walter Palmer, the New York Times chief electrician, came up with the idea of a ball drop on New Year’s Eve. He was inspired by the maritime tradition of dropping a time ball so sailors could adjust their chronometers while at sea. The rest, as they say, is history, since the dropping of the ball in Times Square has been a tradition ever since 1907.
However you choose to celebrate the incoming new year, please do so responsibly.
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Info Source: History.com and Mic.com
Image Source: Pixabay.com
