New Years has been celebrated for thousands of years. Around 2000 B.C. the Babylonians celebrated the New Year with the first new moon after the spring equinox which happened to be the first day of spring. Spring is the most logical time to celebrate the New Year because that is the time when new crops are planted, and new growth and new life begins. January has no agricultural or astronomical significance.

The Babylonian New Year lasted 11 days, each having a different significance. The Romans continued celebrating the New Year at the end of March, but the calendar was constantly changing through different emperors until it became out of sync with the sun. In 153 B.C. the Roman senate officially declared January 1 to be New Years. The calendar continued to be tampered with until in 46 B.C. Julius Caesar established the calendar we know and use today, but to get it back in sync with the sun, the previous year had to last 445 days.

Today there are various celebrations, rituals and traditions that people practice depending where in the world they are. Spanish people eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Years Eve. It is tradition to listen to the clock in Puerto Del Sol in Madrid. When the clock chimes at 12:00, a grape is put into the mouth at each chime and they are supposed to be eaten by the end of the twelfth chime. The Chinese tradition is to put paper cutouts on their windows on New Years day. These cutouts were traditionally made from red paper but now they are made from all sorts of colors. This practice is done to scare away evil spirits so they won’t enter the house through the windows and also to bring good luck throughout the year to come. In the South, people eat black eyed peas and either turnip greens or cabbage depending on the family and area. Black eyed peas are said to bring good luck through the New Year and the cabbage or greens bring prosperity. Watching college football bowl games over the holidays are favorites of a lot of people as well. Check out our tailgating section for tips and recipes.

Wherever you are and whatever you do, from sipping champagne to shooting fireworks to tailgating at college football games, remember to have a safe and happy New Year.

Try some of these delicious recipes to prepare for you and you family on New Years Day.