New Year’s Eve: History and Celebration
"Auld Lang Syne," perhaps the most famous New Year’s Eve song in the English-speaking world, is also considered "the song that nobody knows.” It might be apt that few people know the words to this song, because the meaning of New Year’s Eve in the Western world has always been somewhat nebulous. Use this New Year’s Eve Web Guide to learn what New Year’s is all about, and where to find celebrations, helpful hints on fulfilling your New Year’s resolutions and New Year’s customs from around the world.
Expand All Guide SectionsNew Year's Eve Party Tips
New Year’s is renowned for celebrations. You don’t want to procrastinate, be without ... read more »
New Year's Day Events
Not all the fun takes place on the eve of the New Year. In the United States, football fans settle ... read more »
Keeping New Year’s Resolutions
The day after New Year’s Day usually marks the date when we break our New Year’s ... read more »
New Year's History, Traditions and Superstitions
You’re sitting in front of the TV next to your significant other, champagne in hand, counting ... read more »
New Year's Traditions Around the World
Some type of New Year’s tradition, either jubilant or solemn, exists for every culture, even if they don’t agree on when the New Year actually starts. The links in this section teach you about New Year’s traditions around the world, including those practiced by Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Jewish and Muslim people, among others.
Insights for New Year's Traditions Around the World
- The sites provided in this section are mainly introductory resources to give you a general overview of the respective New Year’s traditions.
- Various calendars are mentioned in the links below. Use this calendar converter to calculate the date in several calendars simultaneously, including the Gregorian, Julian, Hebrew, Islamic, Persian, Mayan, Bahá'í and Indian Civil calendars. Look for background information on each calendar, too.
Top Sites for New Year's Traditions Around the World
FatherTime’s.net
provides a list of New Year’s celebrations “Around the World.” Learn about customs and traditions in countries as far away as Cambodia and Wales, or use the links on the left for New Year’s songs and recipes gathered from around the globe.
Infoplease
describes some New Year’s traditions from various countries that celebrate the New Year at the same time as the United States. The site also explores the roots of the song “Auld Lang Syne” and tells you how to say “Happy New Year!” in many languages.
The History Channel
Web site has a stunning feature on the Chinese New Year, including a calendar listing the birth animals of each year since 1876, a description of traditions and symbols, an overview of typical food eaten on the holiday and a five-minute video on the history of the event.
Netglimse.com
teaches you all about Shogatsu, the Japanese New Year. Learn about the celebration, food, rituals, traditions and customs, amusements and more. Note that there are a number of advertisements on the site.
Chabad.org
has an abundance of information on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Get a quick introduction to the holiday, read essays and stories, listen to songs, watch videos of world synagogues, view a section for kids and much more.
BBC
offers information on Al-Hijra, the Muslim New Year’s day. As the BBC notes, this holiday is fairly “low key”—unlike many of the other New Year’s celebrations throughout the world—and is usually observed through prayer and reflection.
The Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India
has plenty of information on Diwali, one of the biggest Hindu festivals. Learn about some of the legends associated with the holiday and how different regions of India celebrate it, and find recipes, songs, wallpapers and more.
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