T h e C h u r c h ’ s V ie w o ff th e N e w Y e a r C e le b ra tio n s :
A lth o u g h in th e firs t c e n tu rie s A D th e R o m a n s c o n tin u e d c e le b ra tin g th e n e w y e a r, th e e a rly C a th o lic
C h u rc h c o n d e m n e d th e fe s tiv itie s a s p a g a n is m . B u t a s C h ristia n ity b e c a m e m o re w id e s p re a d , th e e a rly
c h u rc h b e g a n h a v in g its o w n re lig io u s o b s e rv a n c e s c o n c u rre n tly w ith m a n y o f th e p a g a n c e le b ra tio n s ,
a n d N e w Y e a r's D a y w a s n o d iffe re n t. N e w Y e a rs is s till o b s e rv e d a s th e F e a s t o f C h rist's C irc u m c is io n
b y s o m e d e n o m in a tio n s .
D u rin g th e M id d le A g e s , th e C h u rc h re m a in e d o p p o s e d to c e le b ra tin g N e w Y e a rs . J a n u a ry 1 h a s b e e n
c e le b ra te d a s a h o lid a y b y W e s te rn n a tio n s fo r o n ly a b o u t th e p a s t 4 0 0 y e a rs .
N e w Y e a r ’ s T ra d itio n s:
O th e r tra d itio n s o f th e s e a s o n in c lu d e th e m a k in g o f N e w Y e a r's re s o lu tio n s . T h a t tra d itio n a ls o d a te s
b a c k to th e e a rly B a b y lo n ia n s . P o p u la r m o d e m re s o lu tio n s m ig h t in c lu d e th e p ro m is e to lo s e w e ig h t o r
q u it s m o k in g . T h e e a rly B a b y lo n ia n 's m o s t p o p u la r re s o lu tio n w a s to re tu rn b o rro w e d fa rm e q u ip m e n t.
T h e T o u rn a m e n t o f R o s e s P a ra d e d a te s b a c k to 1 8 8 6 . In th a t y e a r, m e m b e rs o f th e V a lle y H u n t C lu b
d e c o ra te d th e ir c a rria g e s w ith flo w e rs . It c e le b ra te d th e rip e n in g o f th e o ra n g e c ro p in C a lifo rn ia .
A lth o u g h th e R o s e B o w l fo o tb a ll g a m e w a s firs t p la y e d a s a p a rt o f th e T o u rn a m e n t o f R o s e s in 1 9 0 2 ,
it w a s re p la c e d b y R o m a n c h a rio t ra c e s th e fo llo w in g y e a r. In 1 9 1 6 , th e fo o tb a ll g a m e re tu rn e d a s th e
s p o rts c e n te rp ie c e o f th e fe s tiv a l.
T h e tra d itio n o f u s in g a b a b y to s ig n ify th e n e w y e a r w a s b e g u n in G re e c e a ro u n d 6 0 0 B C . It w a s th e ir
tra d itio n a t th a t tim e to c e le b ra te th e ir g o d o f w in e , D io n y s u s , b y p a ra d in g a b a b y in a b a s k e t,
re p re s e n tin g th e a n n u a l re b irth o f th a t g o d a s th e s p irit o f fe rtility . E a rly E g y p tia n s a ls o u s e d a b a b y a s a
s y m b o l o f re b irth .
A lth o u g h th e e a rly C h ris tia n s d e n o u n c e d th e p ra c tic e a s p a g a n , th e p o p u la rity o f th e b a b y a s a s y m b o l
o f re b irth fo rc e d th e C h u rc h to re e v a lu a te its p o s itio n . T h e C h u rc h fin a lly a llo w e d its m e m b e rs to
c e le b ra te th e n e w y e a r w ith a b a b y , w h ic h w a s to s y m b o liz e th e b irth o f th e b a b y J e s u s.
T h e u s e o f a n im a g e o f a b a b y w ith a N e w Y e a rs b a n n e r a s a s y m b o lic re p re se n ta tio n o f th e n e w y e a r
w a s b ro u g h t to e a rly A m e ric a b y th e G e rm a n s . T h e y h a d u s e d th e e ffig y s in c e th e fo u rte e n th c e n tu ry .
For Luck in th e N e w Y e a r:
T ra d itio n a lly , it w a s th o u g h t th a t o n e c o u ld a ffe c t th e lu c k th e y w o u ld h a v e th ro u g h o u t th e c o m in g y e a r
b y w h a t th e y d id o r a te o n th e firs t d a y o f th e y e a r. F o r th a t re a s o n , it h a s b e c o m e c o m m o n fo r fo lk s to
c e le b ra te th e firs t fe w m in u te s o f a b ra n d n e w y e a r in th e c o m p a n y o f fa m ily a n d frie n d s . P a rtie s o fte n
la s t in to th e m id d le o f th e n ig h t a fte r th e rin g in g in o f a n e w y e a r. It w a s o n c e b e lie v e d th a t th e firs t
v is ito r o n N e w Y e a r's D a y w o u ld b rin g e ith e r g o o d lu c k o r b a d lu c k th e re s t o f th e y e a r. It w a s
p a rtic u la rly lu c k y if th a t v is ito r h a p p e n e d to b e a ta ll d a rk -h a ire d m a n .
T ra d itio n a l N e w Y e a r fo o d s a re a ls o th o u g h t to b rin g lu c k . M a n y c u ltu re s b e lie v e th a t a n y th in g in th e
s h a p e o f a rin g is g o o d lu c k , b e c a u s e it s y m b o liz e s " c o m in g fu ll c irc le ," c o m p le tin g a y e a r's c y c le . F o r
th a t re a s o n , th e D u tc h b e lie v e th a t e a tin g d o n u ts o n N e w Y e a r's D a y w ill b rin g g o o d fo rtu n e .
M a n y p a rts o f th e U .S . c e le b ra te th e n e w y e a r b y c o n s u m in g b la c k -e y e d p e a s . T h e s e le g u m e s a re
ty p ic a lly a c c o m p a n ie d b y e ith e r h o g jo w ls o r h a m . B la c k -e y e d p e a s a n d o th e r le g u m e s h a v e b e e n
c o n s id e re d g o o d lu c k in m a n y c u ltu re s . T h e h o g , a n d th u s its m e a t, is c o n s id e re d lu c k y b e c a u s e it
s y m b o liz e s p ro s p e rity . C a b b a g e is a n o th e r " g o o d lu c k " v e g e ta b le th a t is c o n s u m e d o n N e w Y e a r's D a y
b y m a n y . C a b b a g e le a v e s a re a ls o c o n s id e re d a s ig n o f p ro s p e rity , b e in g re p re s e n ta tiv e o f p a p e r
c u rre n c y . In s o m e re g io n s , ric e is a lu c k y fo o d th a t is e a te n o n N e w Y e a r's D a y .
(T a k e n fro m N e w Y e a rs .C O M )
P a g e 2 ZYXWVUTSRQPON