Uselessgyan

FROM ISSUE # 148 (April 2008) | IN THIS ISSUE
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Fire crackers are set off to ward off evil spirits in China on New Year's.

New Year's Day is the oldest known holiday celebrated by mankind. The Babylonians observed New Year's in March around 4,000 years ago.

The most common American New Year resolution is to lose weight.

In many parts of the United States, people celebrate the New Year by eating black-eyed peas accompanied by ham; peas are thought to bring good luck, and ham symbolises prosperity.

Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace on New Year's Day, hoping Saint Basil will come and fill their shoes with gifts.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day New Year holiday that begins on 26 December and extends to 1 January. Kwanzaa means first fruits in Swahili.

In Rio de Janeiro, the Copacabana New Year beach festival draws more than 2 million people.
To burn up the old year and roll in the new one, people in some areas of Scotland set barrels of tar on fire and roll them down the streets.

In the Middle Ages, New Year's day was celebrated on 25 March.

The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, symbolising productiveness.