Content Spotlight: The New Year (2024)

The New Year

Learn about New Year Traditions in the United States

In the United States, people begin to celebrate the New Year on December 31st, New Year’s Eve. Families and friends gather to share a meal and “ring in” the New Year, often with a toast and a song. Americans also enjoy the tradition of watching the New Year’s festivities at Times Square (New York City) which are broadcast on TV. New Year’s Day (January 1st) is a national holiday in the United States.

A popular American tradition is making New Year’s resolutions, when people promise to do something better in the year to come. Some even write down their New Year’s resolutions and share them with their friends. The New Year is a celebration in many other cultures too, although it does not always take place at the same time.

How do people celebrate the New Year where you live? Do you make New Year’s resolutions?

This publication describes the New Year’s traditions in the United States:Celebrate! Holidays in the USA– New Year's Eve

Classroom Activities

Activity 1 (intermediate learners):Read the “New Year’s Resolutions” text with your students, and discuss the main ideas of the article: the historical background, the idea of having New Year’s resolutions, and the examples discussed in the article. Conclude the lesson by asking students what their resolutions would be.

Activity 2 (advanced learners):Ask your students to pick one tradition from either the Voice Of America “New Year’s Traditions” podcast or the “Chinese New Year” reading, and have them do research about it and then share their ideas about that tradition, including its similarities to or differences from their own culture.

More Content Spotlights

Content Spotlight: The New Year (2024)

FAQs

What are 5 facts about new years? ›

Blog
  • The first New Year's celebration dates back 4,000 years. ...
  • Forty-five percent of Americans make New Year's resolutions. ...
  • Be sure to eat leafy greens on New Year's. ...
  • Many people ring in New Year's by popping open a bottle of champagne. ...
  • About 1 million people gather in New York City's Times Square to watch the ball drop.

How was the new year celebration answered? ›

In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinking, and watching or lighting fireworks. Some Christians attend a watchnight service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into New Year's Day, 1 January.

What is the purpose of celebrating the new year? ›

The first of January represents the fresh start of a new year after a period of remembrance of the passing year, including on radio, television, and in newspapers, which starts in early December in countries around the world. Publications have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year.

What is the essence of having a new year? ›

The Importance of the New Year

The New Year is like a magical reset button; it encourages us to start fresh, try new things, and bring more happiness into our lives. In the New Year, we look back at the things we did in the past year and learn from them.

What is great about the new year? ›

Foods and snacks believed to bring good luck are consumed by revellers. Around the world, people celebrate with customs such as singing songs and watching fireworks. As the New Year is a great opportunity for good change, many people write down their resolutions for the coming year.

What is one interesting or surprising thing you learned about New Year's day? ›

Ancient Babylonians celebrated New Year's in March.

The new year used to coincide with the arrival of spring. A 12-day festival called Akitu marked the occasion, which was more about praying than it was about finding a midnight kiss.

What is new year in simple words? ›

The New Year is the time or day at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system today, New Year occurs on January 1 (New Year's Day, preceded by New Year's Eve).

What does "new year" mean to me? ›

To some of us, it symbolizes an end and a beginning all in one single moment. It allows us to evaluate the stuff that worked for us during the last year of our lives and purge ourselves of the attitudes and habits that didn't.

Why do you like new year? ›

It is a time to reflect on the year that has passed and sets a marker for comparison of how our life has changed over the past 12 months. 'At the same time, it's an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start anew with the turn of the year, which is why many adopt a New Year's resolution to mark a fresh start.

What are some quotes for new year's? ›

Short New Year's quotes.

If you're brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” A new heart for a New Year, always!” Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous New Year by believing.” Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings.”

What is the point of Happy new year? ›

The phrase "Happy New Year" is commonly used on January 1st to greet and wish others well for the new year ahead. This day is celebrated as the first day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar which is widely used around the world.

What is the meaning of Happy new year? ›

Happy New Year!: Enjoy the year ahead! idiom. Happy New Year is used as a greeting from New Year's Eve (December 31st) through January, generally when you see someone for the first time that year.

What does new year's symbolize? ›

Customs and traditions

The baby as a symbol of the new year dates to the ancient Greeks, with an old man representing the year that has passed. The Romans derived the name for the month of January from their god Janus, who had two faces, one looking backward and the other forward.

What is a new year's blessing? ›

May the Lord make my New Year a happy one… Not by shielding me from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening me to bear it if it comes. Not by making my path easy, but by making me sturdy enough to tread any path.

How to bring in the new year spiritually? ›

Spend New Year's Eve in meditation

Spend it in quiet meditation or prayer as a way to start the year in peace and harmony. Make sure you arrange for your meditation time to extend past midnight. It's the perfect way to not only start a brand new year but end an old one. You can also do this with others if you prefer.

What are 5 facts about Chinese new year? ›

10 fun things to know about the Lunar New Year
  • It's the biggest holiday in Asian culture. ...
  • It's also called the Spring Festival. ...
  • Many traditions – like wearing the color red – started from an ancient legend about a monster. ...
  • Various Asian cultures have different zodiacs and traditions. ...
  • The dates change every year.
Jan 19, 2023

What is a fact about new years for kids? ›

At midnight it is traditional to kiss or shake hands and wish other people “Happy New Year.” Many people make New Year's resolutions, or promises to themselves. They see New Year's Day as a chance to make a fresh start. Different cultures celebrate the new year in many ways. The Dutch eat doughnuts for good luck.

What is a fun fact about January 5? ›

January 5th is…

1914 – The Ford Motor Company announced an eight-hour workday and that it would pay a “living wage” of at least $5 for a day's labor. 1949 – President Harry S Truman labeled his administration the “Fair Deal.” 1995 – The daytime soap opera All My Children celebrated its 25th anniversary.

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