New Year's Eve

About New Year's Eve:

The New Year's Eve is when we celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. Cultures that measure yearly calendars all have New Year celebrations.

The ancient Roman calendar had only ten months and started the new year on March 1, which is still reflected in the names of some months which derive from Latin: September (seventh), October (eighth), November (ninth), December (tenth). Around 713 BC the months of January and February were added to the year, traditionally by the second king, Numa Pompilius, along with the leap month Intercalaris. The year used in dates was the consular year, which began on the day when consuls first entered office — fixed by law at 15 March in 222 BC, but this event was moved to January 1, in 153 BC. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, dropping Intercalaris; however, January 1st continued to be the first day of the New Year.

It took quite a long time before the adoption of the January 1st as the start of the year became widespread.

Fun Facts:

• Because of the division of the globe into time zones, the New Year moves progressively around the globe as the start of the day ushers in the New Year. The first time zone to usher in the New Year is just west of the International Date Line. At that time the time zone to the east of the Date Line is 23 hours behind, still in the previous day.
• New Years is recorded as far back in Mesopotamia as 2000 BC!
• Some believer that the change in Europe might have started the holiday April Fool's Day
• January wasn't actually added to the calendar until 700 BC

Activities:

• See how many words you can make using the letters from New Year’s Day
• Learn how to say Happy New Year in different languages