10 Interesting Facts about New Year’s Eve

Well, 2016 is almost over – and whether you had a fantastic year or a not-so-fantastic year, for a lot of us the new year could not come sooner. Let’s face it, it’s been a tough year, and while some good has come from it – panda and tiger populations increased, India planted 50 million trees in one day, over 800 Boko Haram hostages were rescued – the downers may just trump it all: We said farewell to Bowie, Prince and Cohen, we watched as terror attacks and natural disasters reigned in many areas, and, of course, most recently, we saw Trump become the new President elect of USA. All in all, there’s a lot of reasons why we can’t wait to kiss 2016 goodbye.

So in the spirit of how bizarre this year really has been, here are a few fascinating, disturbing and downright weird facts about New Year’s Eve.

• Ancient Babylonians were the first people to celebrate New Year’s, 4000 years ago.
• When the clock strikes twelve in Australia, more than 80 000 fireworks are set off from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• Making noise and setting off fireworks on New Year’s eve is said to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were believed to chase away evil spirits and bring good luck.
• Italians wear red underwear on New Year’s Day as they believe it will bring them luck all year round.
• Why champagne? The idea of drinking alcohol to celebrate religious festivities stems from the time when pagans made offerings to their gods with a special mead or wine. Champagne was (and is) known as the finest form of wine – fit for gods. New year’s used to be a religious celebration but has now turned secular – but the champagne remains (thank goodness).
• In Thailand, people celebrate New Year’s Day with a state sponsored water fight.
• More cars are stolen on New Year’s Day than any other holiday.
• The top three places to celebrate New Year’s Eve have been voted as New York, Las Vegas and, of course, Disney World!
• In ancient Rome, the new year started on the first of March.
• The song that many people across the globe (but mostly in America and Europe) traditionally sing on New Year’s, “Auld Lang Syne,” means “times gone by”.

So wherever you are this year, we wish you a “Happy New Year”!