January 1st marks the start of the year on the Gregorian calendar. It is also used on the Julian calendar. Most cultures celebrate this event in some way. It is often marked as a national holiday.

In pre-Christian Rome under the Julian calendar, it was dedicated to Janus. Janus is the god of gateways and beginnings. January is also named after Janus. In Christendom, New Year’s Day marked the Feast of the Naming of Jesus. It is still observed in the Anglican and Lutheran Church.

New Year’s Eve is celebrated by many. Most people celebrate by having social gatherings. Friends and family get with one another to end the last year and start the New Year together. Many people also set off fireworks. Another famous celebration is the “ball drop” in the New York City’s Times Square. This is because timeballs were formerly used as a time signal. Times Square also has many performers,parties, and other activities for the occasion.

Past performer of Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve have included Miley Cyrus, Carrie Underwood, Carly Rae Jepsen, and many more. This television tradition has been around since December 31, 1972. Ryan Seacrest had taken over as host in 2012 due to the passing of Dick Clark and he is going to be the host again this year.

New Years is a time for a lot of people to gather their thoughts about the year they are leaving and some people even decide to make a New Year’s resolution. Resolutions can range from wanting to lose weight to wanting a drama free year. Some people stick with them all year, and some do not. New Year’s will be celebrated by many families and friends across the world this year.