New Year Festivities
Billions of people celebrate New Year with their own traditions participating in some form of festival making it one of the most observed holidays globally. While huge crowds gather in cities worldwide bringing in the New Year some folks stay at home quietly watching the Ball Drop at Time Square New York. Studies indicate a majority of Americans often opt for a home based celebration rather than parties and fanfare. Global participation reaches a mass majority as New Year's celebration spans across every country with 90 percent recognizing January 1 as a public holiday. In Times Square New York as the clock strikes midnight America will celebrate turning 250 leading the celebration commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence together with One Times Square and the Square Alliance. Announced a surprise second post midnight moment on New Year’s Eve to mark the start of the Semiquincentennial year. The moment will feature the ball lighting up with an America250 design cascade of 2,000 pounds of red, white and blue confetti signifying the New Year 2026 where the Time Square Ball will be lit in red, white and blue the America250 design and rise above illuminated 2026 numerals.
Every year over a million people celebrate New Years Eve at Times Square New York, uniting the crowds with enthusiastic expressions and around the globe embracing traditions as symbolic acts of aspirations going into the New Year with hope and ambition achieving your goals in 2026. New Year festival is any of cultural, social or religious observances held worldwide celebrating the beginning of the New Year which are among the oldest and most universally observed. Historically the earliest known record of the New Year Festival dates around 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia where in Babylonia the New Year (Akitu) began with the new moon after the (Vernal equinox) and in Assyria with the new moon nearest the autumnal equinox in (mid September) for the Egyptians and Phoenicians the year began with the autumnal equinox (September 21) for ancient Persians it began in the vernal equinox March 21 and for the early Greeks it began on the winter solstice on December 21.
On the Roman republican calendar the year began on March 1 but in 153 BCE the official date was January 1 which was continued in the Julian calendar of 46 BCE. In early medieval times most Christian of Europe regarded March 25th the Feast of the Annunciation as the beginning of the New Year although New Years Day was observed on December 25, in Anglo Saxon England. William the Conqueror decreed that year began on January 1, as England later joined the rest of Christendom and adopted March 25. The Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582 by the Roman Catholics then restored January 1st as New Year’s Day; most European countries followed suit, for instance Scotland in 1660, Germany and Denmark 1700, England 1752, and Russia in 1918. Global variations of religious and cultural sectors encompass a vast array of symbolic belief systems in faith, spiritual traditions, socialization with deeply influenced observance expressionism. The religions and cultures using the lunar calendar continued to observe the beginning of the New Year on days other than January1.
Many of the customs featured in New Years Festivals often pass the time with anticipation creating a list of New Years resolutions focusing on personal commitments to improve one's self boost health, eating well, exercising more, sleep, improve finance, investing and saving budget, personal growth achievements with the focus on New Year activities in 2026.
Cheers!
Patricia Lynn
Images Courtesy of Romolo Tayani at Adobe Stock
