People have celebrated the passage of time since ancient days.

There are as many ways to celebrate the New Year as there are days in the calendar. Regardless of when and where it is observed, the holiday is rich in history and traditions the world over. The common themes of renewal, rebirth, and hope for health, wealth, and prosperity evident in past celebrations are still alive and well in today's festivities

In the formative years of this country, the Puritans frowned on any kind of New Year observance. They associated it with paganism, even refusing to utter the word January, calling it "the first month" instead.

 

TOP TRADITIONS 1.  Eating Special Food Since Roman times, beans have been associated with good fortune. This belief evolved into the southern U.S. custom of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. The tiny legumes, which arrived on ships carrying slaves from Africa , often find their way into a good-luck dish called Hoppin' John, a hearty mixture of black-eyed peas, rice, and salt pork or bacon.  Recipe for Hoppin' John.  Another popular New Year's Day dish believed to bring good luck is cabbage. And in some cultures, backward-moving creatures such as crayfish and lobster are avoided on New Year's Day, because it's a time to move forward, not back. 2. Making Resolutions This stems mainly from the early Christian belief that the first day of the new year was best spent recalling the mistakes of the past 365 days and resolving to do better in the future. However, some ancient peoples, including the Babylonians, made resolutions as well. If you're one of the millions of Americans about to pledge to lose weight, get in shape, help others, stop smoking, or make any other resolution, follow this advice: Pick just a few goals; don't expect to change everything in one year. Set a goal that's reachable within a few weeks (like, "I'll lose 5 pounds by Valentine's Day"), and reevaluate at that time. Make a firm date with yourself to take the first step toward your goal during the first week of the year (such as, "Ask Dr. Smith about nicotine patch"). Share your desire with someone who can offer moral support. And reward yourself for success along the way.  See some popular resolutions. 3. Holding an Open House The Dutch, who settled New York , brought with them the custom of holding open houses to celebrate the new year. In Scotland also, families hold open houses for friends and relatives on December 31. In the United States , many open houses are held at midday and brunch is served. 4. Watching Parades A combination of Swedish and English practices in Philadelphia led to the now elaborate Mummer's Day Parade held on New Year's Day. But the granddaddy of all New Year's Day processions, of course, is the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. Begun in 1890, the festival is now transmitted by radio and television to more than 300 million people throughout the world. It's followed by another New Year's tradition, the Rose Bowl football game that crowns a new college team as champions. The 119th Rose parade themed, Passport to the World's Celebrations, will take place on Monday, January 1, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. (PST) featuring spirited marching bands from throughout the nation, majestic floral floats, and high-stepping equestrian units. Following the Rose Parade, at 2:10 p.m. (PST), the 94th Rose Bowl Game will feature an exciting match up between the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and the University of Southern California Trojans, showcasing the best of collegiate football in The Granddaddy of Them All®. The Rose Bowl will be broadcast exclusively on ABC and on ESPN radio.

History of New Year's Traditions Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man. Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune. Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.  The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth. Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus. The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century. The popular Tournament of Roses Parade held on this day in Pasadena, CA, was started in 1886 by the Valley Hunt Club, whose members decorated their carriages with flowers, creating what was meant to be " an artistic celebration of the ripening of the oranges in California". In the afternoon athletic events were held. The city of Pasadena later relieved the club of sponsorship of the parade, and the city was in turn succeeded by the Tournament of Roses Association, which till date directs the activities. Gradually the flower-decked carriages gave way to floats that by parade rules can be covered only with fresh flowers. Yet another annual attraction, the Rose Bowl football game, became part of the festivities in 1902. The traditional and spectacular Mummers' Parade of Philadelphia owes its origin to the Christmas celebrations of the Swedes and the Englishmen who settled along the Delaware River . The masked revelers among the Swedes saw to it that the festivities of the Christmas season lasted until the New Year. The English brought with them their ancient practice of mumming. This, in America , took the form of groups of men presenting costumed plays, going from house to house reciting their parts in expectation of money or some of the Christmas fare. It was since then the parade has been divided into three main sections: the fancy-dress division, the clown division, and the string bands.

Making a New Year's Resolution It's hard not to get the resolution urge on New Year's Eve. There's that sense of renewal, of rebirth, and the guilty awareness that you ate your own weight in chocolate during the holidays. Here are some popular resolutions in no particular order of importance. Write them down using this handy notesheet. Exercise  Go Back to School Spend More Time with Family Quit Smoking Be Happy Take a Vacation Save Money Listen More Volunteer Smile more Lose Weight Get Out of Debt Change Careers Eat Better Go to Church Make More Money Relax More Be a Better Friend Increase Productivity Healthy Lifestyle Remember Birthdays, etc. Quick Tips for Keeping Resolutions If something is really hard for you, resolve to just do it for just a month, a week, or on Tuesdays. Accomplishing even a small portion of a difficult goal will be a sweet victory. You don’t have to (nor can you, really) go from couch potato to marathon runner, or from straight Ds to straight As, overnight. If you need to take some baby steps to get to your goal, let those baby steps be your resolutions. Make goals and resolutions that cover your happiness, too – like having hang time with friends, or five minutes of uninterrupted relaxation every day. That’s certainly just as important as your grades, chores, or whatever less-fun stuff is on your list. Use the buddy system. Get your family and friends in on this with you. They can cheer you on, motivate you, and even help reward you for jobs well done.

Hoppin' John