Each year, many people celebrate New Year’s with their families, friends, and significant others. Many New Year’s traditions have been passed down through the years. Not all families have New Year’s traditions, but some do.
The most common and well-known tradition is to kiss at midnight. People have been doing this for years. Doing this strengthens your relationship and gives it good luck throughout the year. Other common traditions include a champagne toast to show a public gesture to appreciate something. Fireworks are a romantic performance of combat usually associated with national events. The ball drop in New York is a pulley system to alert passersby as to the time of day. Finally, a New Year’s resolution is a promise one makes to oneself to change an undesired trait or practice in their life. Although there are many more, these are the ones you will see and hear of most often.
It is usually the norm to stay up until midnight on December 31st to enter the new year. In 1907, Adolph Ochs wanted something big to celebrate this year and show off his papers’ success. Ochs authorized a building of an electrically lit ball to be lowered down a flagpole on the roof of his newspaper’s building. The ball takes 60 seconds (one minute) to drop. It begins to drop at 11:59 on December 31st so it finally drops on January 1st.
Other not-so-common traditions include eating 12 grapes, smashing a plate, wearing white, and so much more. Each of these traditions is done to go into the new year with good luck and to become a better version of yourself. All of these traditions are from different cultures and different parts of the world, but other cultures have also seen these traditions and taken hold of them too.
Some people will eat 12 grapes under a table within 12 minutes before midnight and make a wish for each one, signifying a grape for each month of the year. Smashing a plate is to release any negative energy and wish the person good luck. Making resolutions gives people an idea of what they want to change in their daily lives to make it easier and better for themselves. People do these things so that they will have a good year and they manifest for things to happen in their favor.
One very fun tradition is making a vision board. A vision board is a collage of images, pictures, and affirmations of your dreams and wants. Doing this gives a source of inspiration and motivation. Sophomore Kayla Doctrow says, “I make vision boards for the new year on what I want my life to be like. I enjoy doing it and I’ve been doing it for several years. It was not passed down by my family but I do it with my friends. This superstition kind of works.”
Not all traditions are passed down, but they can start now. When going into the New Year you should feel a sense of relief and determination with all of your new resolutions. Each tradition should be an inspiration to change for the better. Even if you don’t achieve all your goals, some traditions can make it easier.
