#FunFactFriday – New Year’s
Happy #FunFactFriday! Every first Friday, you can expect to see a blog post sharing some fun facts about a certain topic. December was the first installment and shared facts about all the HMAers. Did you miss it? Click here to read it.
For this month’s post, I thought it would be nice to know some interesting facts about New Year’s! Keep reading and let us know if there are any other fun facts you know about the holiday!
- Julius Caesar declared the first New Year, naming January 1 the first day of the year. He named the month after Janus, Roman god of doors and gates who had two faces, one looking forward to the future and one looking back to the past.
- New York City, Las Vegas and Disney World are the top U.S. places to celebrate New Year’s Eve. A popular international destination is Sydney, Australia.
- You should surround yourself with loved ones on New Year’s Eve! You’re supposed to ring in the New Year with friends and family because the first people you see will either give you good luck or bad luck.
- The New York City Times Square ball-drop tradition started in 1907 when there was a fireworks ban. This tradition has held true ever since, except in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime restrictions. The current ball weighs 11,875 pounds, is covered in 2,688 crystals and is lit by 32,000 LEDs.
- Italians are supposed to wear red underwear on New Year’s for luck.
- Different countries have different food traditions—in Italy, Germany, Ireland, and the U.S., people eat legumes or leafy greens for financial fortune; in Cuba, Austria, Hungary, and Portugal, people eat pork for progress and prosperity; in the Netherlands, Mexico, and Greece, people eat ring-shaped cakes and pastries to symbolize that the year has come full circle; and in Japan, people eat long noodles for a long life.
- Finally, make sure your cars are locked on New Year’s Eve. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, vehicles are often stolen on New Year’s Day.
