What is New Year’s Eve? New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest occasions in the calendar year for most places in the world, which means there’s a fascinating history surrounding how it’s celebrated, stretching back to the start of recorded history.
There are also multiple ways people celebrate the new year, whether it be fireworks in a city through our modern-day era or Spain’s tradition for people to stay at home, at least until 12 o’clock, and they like to see in the New Year by eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. No matter the way of celebrating the new year, there is something different, but also something unique about it.
The Babylonians were the first people to celebrate New Year in some shape or form. We don’t know a lot about what they did, but maybe they had a big party at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?
The earliest record of a New Year’s celebration comes over 4,000 years ago from the ancient Babylonians. They didn’t celebrate New Year at the same time we do, though. Instead, the New Year was marked by a big celebration at the spring equinox. To the rest of us, that’s the point of the year when the days start to become longer than the nights. Because they lived in the Northern Hemisphere, this was usually some point in late March.
The Babylonians knew how to party. In fact, they celebrated the New Year with an 11-day festival, which involved a different ritual on each day. Not too much is known about this, but what we do know is pretty exciting. The festival was called Akitu, and it celebrated a victory of the sky god, Marduk, over the evil sea goddess, Tiamat.
he Romans were the first people to celebrate New Year's Day on 1st January, thanks to a certain Julius Caesar.
Though we might think of the Romans as belonging to ancient history, they cropped up a whopping 1,500 years after the earliest traces of Babylonia! Anyway, they loved a good New Year’s party too. They were also the first people to celebrate New Year’s Day when we do, on 1st January.
There’s a good reason for this. The Roman calendar was originally aligned with the sun, but over time, it fell out of sync. So, to bring it back up to speed, Caesar added 90 days! This is the equivalent of roughly two extra months. As part of this, it was decided that each year would start at the beginning of Janus, after the god of new beginnings.
The start of the New Year changed again in the Middle Ages, but it didn’t stay like this for long.
In Christian, medieval Europe, the leaders of the Church didn’t like the idea of the New Year being celebrated on a Roman feast day, so they played around with the dates a little. At first, they changed the start of the year to the 25th of December, and then, deciding that Christmas is best left alone, to the 25th of March. Eventually, Pope Gregory XIII realised that there was nothing wrong with the old way of celebrating New Year, so he changed the date back to the 1st of January, in 1582.
And there you have it, a short history of New Year celebrations around the world! If you’d like to learn more about how the big day is celebrated in the 21st century, then you might want to keep on reading…
Spain has the tastiest way to celebrate New Year’s Eve, that is if you like grapes!
In Spain and a few other Spanish-speaking countries, New Year’s Eve is known as Noche Vieja. It’s traditional for people to stay at home, at least until 12 o’clock, and they like to see in the New Year by eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. This symbolises their hopes and dreams for the year to come. It also sounds pretty tasty too… There are big parties in a lot of towns across the country, but the most famous one is in Madrid, in the Puerta del Sol.
Italy
Over in Italy, New Year’s Eve is known as La Festa di San Silvestro, that is, the feast day of Saint Sylvestre. Like a lot of countries around the world, families gather for a meal, which usually features pork and lentils. After the meal, it’s time to head to the streets for a big ol’ party. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in a big city like Rome, Milan or Naples, then you can expect to see a big fireworks show.
Oh, and don’t forget to wear red underwear! Some people in Italy believe that wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve can bring you good luck. You’ll see loads for sale at the December markets!
imes Square is home to what’s probably the world’s most famous New Year’s Eve party.
In the US, New Year’s Eve is celebrated in much the same way as it is here in Australia. That is, families get together for a special meal, and there’s a whole load of fireworks. New York is home to the world’s most famous New Year’s celebration. Each year, thousands of party-goers gather in Manhattan to see the famous Times Square Ball (pictured above) being lowered at the stroke of midnight. The ball itself is made of Waterford Crystal, which is a kind of patterned glass, so let’s hope no one ever drops it!
China
In China, and a few other countries in South East Asia, New Year is celebrated at the start of the lunar calendar, which, in 2022, falls on the 1st of February. The festival lasts for over two weeks, ending with the traditional Lantern Festival. Because there are big Chinese and Asian communities in a lot of countries around the world, most cities will have some kind of Chinese New Year celebration, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on the fun.
Australia
If you’re in Sydney for New Year’s Eve, then get yourself down to the harbour for a dazzling fireworks display!
Because Australia is in the far reaches of the Eastern Hemisphere, we’re one of the first places in the world to experience the New Year. In fact, people in other countries around the world, like the UK, often wake up to pictures of people having fun down at Sydney Harbour Bridge. Each year, the party has a theme. In previous years, this has been “we are one” and “unity”, but the theme for 2022’s event is still undecided.
Teaching Resources for the New Year
There’s so much to explore about this amazing occasion, so you might be on the lookout for some teacher-made resources to help you out. If this sounds like you, then great! You’ll be pleased to hear that you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got loads to offer, but for now, here’s a list of our favorites.
Happy New Year Fireworks Colouring Pages - As the new year approaches, celebrate in style with these Happy New Year Fireworks Coloring Pages. With colorful displays being created, this is the perfect opportunity to reinforce fine motor skills as well as just have some fun. What is new years eve? You’ll have the pleasure of finding out with these beautifully put-together coloring sheets. Put them on display or send them home to parents, whatever the decision, it’ll be a great way to see in the new year.
New Year 2022 Pattern Tracing Activity - Support your children by developing their fine motor skills with this New Year 2022 Pattern Tracing Activity. Practice the movements needed to form letters while also decorating the numbers and fireworks by tracing over the pattern. Create discussions around the new year and new year's resolutions.
My Hopes and Wishes for 2022 Worksheet - Encourage your child to consider what the new year will look like and what is new year’s eve to them. This teacher-made worksheet will help your children figure it all out with its beautiful illustrations and big, bold text.
New Year’s Resolutions Resource Pack - This new year, keep your children focused on what is important to them with this New Year’s Resolution Resource Pack. What is New Years’ Eve? It is a perfect time to use the resources and materials which can assist in the classroom and beyond. Decorate the classroom with the banner, increase awareness and mindfulness with the worksheets and so much more.
New Year’s Resolutions Information PowerPoint - Start the new year with an understanding of why we make New Year’s Resolutions with this PowerPoint. With the number of slides that use words and pictures to describe what is New Year’s Eve and New Year’s in general. Fourteen slides about celebrating the new year in different ways is a great way to begin your education. Download from a shared Google Drive where you can dive straight into the fun or print them off to spread across your classroom for a future class, either way, this will be a great way to jump into the new year.
New Year's Eve Scavenger Hunt Game - As you celebrate the new year, download this scavenger hunt from a shared Google Drive or print them to distribute with your friends and family for some good times as the new year comes in. Organize a group of friends for a treasure hunt where a few images are hidden around the living room or classroom to get students or friends thinking about what they want to do in the new year and how they will achieve those goals. This is a resource that is highly adaptable for individuals or small groups. The game can be made easier with the inclusion of clues or harder with any instructions being delivered as riddles.
New Year Celebrations Around the World PowerPoint - Be informed of everything new years eve with this PowerPoint presentation. Test your knowledge with a selection of countries from around the world to learn about as well as how they celebrate the new year. What is New Years’ Eve? What is New Year? Answer those questions with this engaging PowerPoint that can assist you in teaching about different countries, cultures, traditions, and festivities around the New Year.
Happy New Year Worksheet - Make your life easier with this Happy New Year Worksheet. Understand what is new years eve and what new years is all about by printing it and spreading it across your classroom or downloading it through a shared Google Drive is another way to go. Let your children color the balloons and help them write down their resolutions for the year. This is not only a great bonding moment but also wondering what they hope to achieve in the future. Through this worksheet, they will become more mindful as well as develop their social skills.
New Year Bulletin Board Ideas Blog - If you are looking to decorate your learning space, check out this blog full of lots of great resources.
As always, if there’s anything else you’d like to know about New Year’s Eve, then you’ll find loads of fun facts over at our dedicated events page, which also contains links to more resources. You can also check out the video below from our YouTube channel, which is full of handy teaching tips and tricks that you might want to use in your lessons:
