New Year’s Eve is one of the most eagerly anticipated and emotional moments of the year. It brings happiness, laughter, and pure joy — filling us with that magical feeling like fresh falling snow. From Christmas trees to Santa Claus, snow maidens to reindeer — the holiday is rich with cherished symbols. So, here are some fun and fascinating facts about the New Year for you.
The New Year celebration is considered the oldest holiday in human history. It is said to have been celebrated in ancient Babylon over 4,000 years ago.
Among all nations around the world, **Australia** was the first to officially celebrate New Year’s Day. They marked both the end of the old year and the beginning of the new with celebrations and nationwide countdowns, followed by fireworks at the stroke of midnight. Inspired by this, many countries began adopting the practice, although it was the last to spread in Asia.
The tradition of the **New Year tree** is believed to have originated in **ancient Germany**, where evergreen fir trees were considered powerful symbols. King Adam of Bremen used to offer two-meter fir trees as a sacrifice every nine years. This tradition was passed on to future generations. The modern history of the Christmas tree began in the **16th century**, with churches in Strasbourg decorating fir trees for Christmas in 1539. Over time, people began placing them at their doors, and by 1957, they were decorating with apples, nuts, and flowers. From the **17th century**, people started bringing them inside their homes and adorning them with beautiful ornaments.
The first **New Year postage stamp** was produced in **Canada** in 1898. The world-famous **“Jingle Bells”** song was originally written by **James Lord Pierpont** in 1857 for Thanksgiving. However, within a few years, it became one of the most popular Christmas and New Year songs around the world.
In **Mexico**, it is believed that wearing **red underwear** on New Year’s Eve will help you find love in the coming year. In **Mexico, Spain, and Cuba**, it is common to eat **12 grapes at midnight**, one for each month of the upcoming year. The sweetness or bitterness of the grape is believed to predict the luck for that particular month.
In **Scandinavian** countries, people decorate trees with **wooden and fabric ornaments**, while many other European countries prefer glittery decorations. In **Ukraine**, it is common to decorate the Christmas tree with **spiders and spider webs**, based on a local legend. A poor mother, unable to decorate the tree for her children, awoke on Christmas morning to find it beautifully covered in spider webs glistening in the sunlight. Since then, spider webs are believed to bring good luck in Ukraine.
In **Mongolia**, people believe that the richness of the New Year’s dinner table will bring abundance for the coming year. It is also considered important to **welcome the New Year at home** — otherwise, one may be “wandering” the whole year. And no Mongolian New Year’s table is complete without **mandarin oranges**, which symbolize good fortune.
