The Facts and stats on New Year's traditions

tHappy Now- Year NEW YEAR'S BY THE NUMBERS 3... 2... 1...HAPPY NEW YEAR! At midnight, 2,000 POUNDS . of confetti are dropped on the crowd. Each New Year's Eve, 1 MILLION PEOPLE gather in New York City's Times Square to watch the famous ball drop. Close to 1 BILLION PEOPLE around the world THE TIMES SQUARE BALL: watch on TV. Covered im 2,688 CRYSTALS Lit by 32,000 LEDS Weighs 11,875 LBS 44% of American adults plan to kiss someone at the stroke of 12. 61% 22% say a prayer on New Year's Eve. admit to falling asleep before midnight. 12 FEET in diameter 45% OF AMERICANS MAKE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS. NEW YEAR'S FOODS WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR GOALS? FOOD Meaning COUNTRY Legumes and leafy greens Money or financial fortune United States Italy. Germany. Ireland, Southern Lose weight Spend less Stay fit and healthy Get Quit Pork Cuba, Austria organized and save more smoking Progress and prosperity Hungary, Portugal HOW LONG DO THEY KEEP THEIR RESOLUTIONS? Ring-shaped cakes and The Netherlands, Mexico, Greece pastries and elsewhere The year has come full circle 64% .************ 71% Long noodles Long life 46% Japan *********************.******* ***** 10 12 14 16 18 20 24 26 Many people celebrate the new year by popping open a bottle of bubbly. Americans consume close to 22 WEEKS 360 MILLION glasses of sparkling wine during the holiday season. Ringing in the New Year dates back 4,000 YEARS to the Babylonians, who celebrated it at the first full moon after the spring equinox. (1) Dating back to 1890, the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, features floats festooned with 18 The ancient Egyptian year began with the annual FLOODING Julius Caesar made JANUARY 1 OF THE NILE. the first day of the year in 46 B.C., but England and its American colonies wouldn't do the same until 1752. MILLION FLOWERS. At the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia, 10,000 PARTICIPANTS march through the city and perform in elaborate costumes. TITTT In Australia, OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE London, England, greets the New Year with fireworks over the Thames. In 2012, to celebrate the queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games, an extra-large display included 12,000 INDIVIDUAL FIREWORKS. line Sydney Harbour's 40 miles of shoreline to watch the fireworks show. New Year's Fast Facts History: Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia. Today, most New Year's festivities begin on December 31 (New Year's Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year's Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year's foods, making resolutions for the new year and watching fireworks displays. The earliest known New Year celebrations were in Mesopotamia and date back to 2000 B.C. The early Romans used March 1 as New Year's Day. Other cultures used the autumn equinox or the winter solstice to mark the new year. 1582 - The Gregorian calendar, which marks January 1 as the new year, is adopted by the Roman Catholic Church. January is named after Janus, the god with two faces, one looking forward and one looking backward. Traditions: New Year's is the time when many people traditionally make resolutions to break bad habits or start good ones. Ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized productiveness. Most New Year's traditions are believed to ensure good luck for the coming year. Many parts of the U.S. observe the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck. "Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits" ittLe SMIle,aworD of ChEEr a Orove FROM SOMeone NEAr LITTLE GIFT FrOM ONeheid dear. B'EStWishes For the COMINGYEAR Offolndia India's Update Guide Follow us on Facebook: fb.com/offolndia, Twitter: @offolndia, Google+: +offolndia