It’s almost the start of a new year! The switch from 2015 to 2016 will be an exciting moment, but what happens right before the clock strikes midnight can be just as incredible. Every community and culture has their own special way of celebrating the end of one year and the start of another.

In Chinese culture, New Year’s Day is much more important than New Year’s Eve. The first day of the year consists of dragon dances, firecrackers, and wishes. Adults give children envelopes filled with money that are called “red pockets”.  To receive the money, the children must wish the adults a happy new year, among other traditional sayings for well-being such as “may a thousand of your dreams come true”.

In Germany, New Year’s Eve is called “Sylvester”, after Pope Sylvester I. Pope Sylvester was made a saint by the Catholic Church and his feast day was declared to be celebrated on December 31st. The day became associated with the New Year in 1582 when the Gregorian calendar was changed and December 31st became the last day of the year.

Much like in other parts of the world, Sylvester is celebrated with fireworks, parties, and lots of fun. The key part of the day is noise. Drumming, shouting, and banging pots and pans is said to drive away evil winter spirits.

According to Harriton senior Lukas Serlin, Germans often say, “Gutes rutsch ins neues Jahr.” “Rutschen” is a verb meaning to slide, so the phrase literally translates to “good slide into the New Year.”

Since India is a secular country with many religious traditions, their multiple sects use different calendars and hold New Year’s celebrations that vary in time and methods.

For example, Hinduism’s Diwali is known as the “festival of lights”, the largest and brightest festival of the religion. Diwali represents the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair.

The preparation for the festival is a five-day extravaganza that includes cleaning, renovating, and decorating homes. On the day itself, Hindus put on their nicest clothes, light lamps outside of their homes, and participate in family prayer.

How about back home in the United States? The tradition in North America to watch the ball drop in Times Square started in 1904. According to the Times Square website, in 1906, fireworks were banned from the large New Year’s celebration. In order to compensate for the loss of colorful exploding gunpowder, the New Yorkers lowered a 700-pound ball made of iron and wood at the stroke of midnight. 

Some aspects of New Year’s celebrations are universal: As Harriton senior Felix Serlin says, “On New Year’s, people like to party, no matter where they are.”  Whenever, wherever, and however it is celebrated, New Year’s Eve is a great time to be with family, friends, and to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new! Happy New Year!