New Years Day

The first day of the New Year has always been a symbol of renewal. The custom of celebrating the New Year stems from ancient societies and how they used to greet new harvest seasons. The modern celebration of the New Year in America is said to have originated with Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam in the seventeenth century.

Each year, in an effort to examine and renew themselves, people make New Year's resolutions. They intend to break bad habits and do good things for themselves and others in the New Year.

The New Year is not celebrated at the same time in all countries or in the same way. Different calendars are used by the different peoples of the world. Some calendars are based on the position of the sun or the movement of the moon. Others are based on both. There are different beliefs about the New Year in various parts of the world.

On New Year's Day in the United States, there are parades such as the Annual Tournament of Roses Parade held in Pasadena, California. Floats decorated with flowers are entered by businesses, organizations, and countries from different parts of the United States and countries of the world. Bands from various cities in the United States and countries of the world are invited to participate. After the parade, there is a football game in the Rose Bowl and various other college bowls in different cities.

The symbol for the New Year, the image of a baby with a New Year banner, was brought to America by the Germans. There are traditional foods to eat on New Year's Day. These foods are thought to bring luck. Foods that are shaped as rings such as donuts are good luck. In many parts of the United States, eating black-eyed peas is considered good luck.

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