Apart from earth completing one revolution, the celebration has got one more reason. It all dates back to Julius Caesar. Well, actually that date was chosen in 153 B.C. by the Roman Senate. That didn't matter much though, the New Year's Eve date was celebrated whenever folks wanted to.........until Julius Caesar decided in 46 BC that it WOULD be celebrated on January 1st.
Julius actually created the Julian calender that year and decided the New Year would start on January 1st. That first year he had to make the year last 445 days in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun!
What kind of traditions do we follow on New Year's Day?Lots of them! Here's just a few.
1. Kissing your loved one at midnight. Start off the New Year expressing love to last through the New Year. Kiss someone else and have your loved one mad at you for a year. Yikes!
2. First footer. That's a Scottish term. A first footer is the first person to enter your house on January 1st. Preferably, he should be about 210 pounds and tall, not cross eyed and have dark hair. You have to let him in (as opposed to him using a key). He should bring gifts like coal (to stoke the fire because it's cold in Scotland in January). He's got to come in one door and leave from another door. Don't let redheads or blondes be your first footer - they bring bad luck!.
3. Don't do laundry on New Year's Day! A family member could be 'washed away' (die) in the following months.
4. Don't pay back loans or lend money on New Year's Day. That means you will do that all year long!
5. Do something related to your work on New Years Day. And be successful at it! Don't do a lot of it though, because that would be bad luck.
Triva :
The Chinese invented fireworks and used them especially on New Year's Eve to dispel evil spirits. They didn't want those nasty spirits following them into the New Year!
Get ready to welcome 2011!
[VIA]
