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This Scottish end to the year may be derived from Norse and Gaelic observances.
Hogmanay is what Scots call New Year’s Eve – December 31st – the big night that marks the arrival of the new year. Its origins reach back to the celebration of the winter solstice among the Vikings with wild parties in late December.
Hogmanay (no one is sure of the origin of the name) traditions include fireworks and torch-lit processions in the cities and bonfires in the rural areas. “First footing” is still observed: it is believed to be good luck for the first foot over the threshold to be that of a dark-haired stranger bearing a piece of coal, shortbread or whiskey. After the midnight chimes, everyone sings “Auld Lang Syne.”
New Year’s Eve is December 31st, the last day of the year, in the Gregorian calendar.
Countries who still use the Julian Calendar observe New Year’s Eve on 13th January.
New Year’s Eve is traditionally celebrated with firework displays across the globe at 00:00 in the local time zones.
History of New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Day was fixed at January 1st in 153 BC, when the two Roman consuls, after whom – in the Roman calendar – years were named and numbered, chose that date, mainly for military reasons.
During the Middle Ages, a number of different Christian feast dates were used to mark the New Year, though calendars often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December in the Roman fashion.
Most countries in Western Europe had officially adopted January 1st as New Year’s Day even before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. This was called Circumcision Style, because it was the date of the ‘Feast of the Circumcision’, which occurred on the eighth day after Christmas Day, and is said to have been the day when Christ was circumcised.
Traditions of New Year’s Eve
“Auld Lang Syne”, written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788, is traditionally sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The words auld lang syne mean “times gone by”.
About 1 million people will gather in New York City’s Times Square to watch the ball drop at midnight on December 31st and mark the arrival of the new year. The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop tradition began in 1907 following a ban on the firework display that had taken place since 1904. The first ball weighed 700 pounds and was lit with 100 25-watt lights. The current ball is 12 feet in diameter, weighs 11,875 pounds and is covered 2,688 Waterford crystals, lit by 32,000 LED lights.
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”
In Japan, at midnight on Shōgatsu (New Year’s Eve), Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times to ring in the New Year and drive away the 108 evil desires that humans fall prey to. This event is called Joya no Kane and is carried on Japanese radio.
New Year’s Eve is traditionally the time to make New Year’s resolutions, which one hopes to fulfil or abide by in the coming year; such as stop smoking or drinking alcohol, or lose weight or get physically fit.
New Year’s Eve is celebrated in Scotland more than the rest of the UK. This is because Christmas was effectively banned in Scotland from 1560 until 1712 due to the Scottish Reformation and only became a public holiday in 1958. Instead of Christmas, the Scots threw their end of year festivities into New Year, which they call Hogmanay. Rather than have a holiday on New Year’s Eve, the canny Scots give themselves an extra public holiday on the Day after New Year to help recover.
Happy New Year everyone at NDN!
Vegan Month marks the formation of the Vegan Society in November 1944.
The special day commemorates the anniversary of the founding of The Vegan Society in 1944 by Donald Watson and friends, who defined the word ‘vegan’ and started modern veganism.
Watson said shortly before he died at the ripe age of 95 in 2005: “It is not every day a movement is born which in its general application could revolutionise mankind.”
What Is the Significance of World Braille Day?
World Braille Day celebrates the importance of Braille as a medium of communication for people who are blind and visually impaired. The day aims to promote awareness of the braille language, which strives to bridge the big divide between ordinary and specially-abled people.
World Braille Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, who is popularly known for inventing a language used by blind and visually impaired people.
The inventor of a widely used touch system of reading and writing for blind people was born at Coupvray, France. Permanently blinded at the age of three by a leatherworking awl in his father’s saddle-making shop, Braille developed a system of writing that used, ironically, an awl-like stylus to punch marks in paper that could be felt and interpreted by people who are blind. The system was largely ignored until after Braille died in poverty, suffering from tuberculosis, at Paris, Jan 6, 1852.
It was the United Nations which, in its proclamation in 2018, decided to observe the event of World Braille Day on January 4.
Twelfth Night is the last day of Christmas when it is traditional to take down all the Christmas cards and decorations and can bring bad luck if they are left up.
Twelfth Night is a festival in some branches of Christianity which marks the beginning of Epiphany. A count of exactly 12 days from 25 December arrives at January 5th. According to the Church of England, this day is Twelfth Night.
The day of Epiphany – when the three wise men came – is the day after, on January 6th.
Not everyone agrees however. Many other Christian groups count the 12 days of Christmas as starting the day after Christmas Day – making January 6th the Twelfth Night. Countries which also follow the January 6 tradition include Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Though overshadowed by falling so soon after Christmas, Epiphany is one of the three major Christian celebrations along with Christmas and Easter.
It is always celebrated on January 6th and commemorates the presentation of the infant Jesus to the Magi or the three wise men, the first Gentile recognition of Christ.. In some countries, it may be known as ‘Three Kings Day’.