From writing resolutions to taking down holiday decorations, the world buzzes with anticipation for the new year. Whether it be making vision boards with your best friends or counting down the seconds to a new beginning, celebrating the New Year in the U.S. comes with many traditions. Have you ever wondered how cultures around the world celebrate the upcoming year?  

   New Year’s across the world is celebrated with different traditions and ways of showing grace. According to an article about the different New Year’s traditions around the world, “Although much of the world celebrates the new year each December 31, we don’t all celebrate the same way. In the United States, we all know the traditions: the ball drop at Times Square, sharing a kiss with a loved one at the stroke of midnight, and countless amounts of fireworks. But elsewhere around the globe, traditions can include everything from giving your house a thorough cleaning to cracking open a fresh pomegranate” (Afar.com). Sometimes we forget that though we are celebrating the same holiday, different cultures have different traditions. 

   Here in the United States, most American celebrations generally go past midnight, from December 31, into New Year’s Day, January 1. Remarkably, the modern New Year’s Day celebration stems from the ancient two-faced Roman God Janus, where one of his heads looks back and one looks forward, according to Time Magazine, explaining “The Romans celebrated the new year on January 1, which was established as the beginning of the year by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE.”

   According to Biology Teacher Justin Nguyen, the Vietnamese New Year’s calendar differs from the one we know in the U.S., the Gregorian Calendar. “In Vietnamese culture, we use a different calendar than what we use here. Our calendar is what’s called Tet. To sum it up, it’s known as the Lunar Calendar. It follows the moon more than it does the sun. The calendar that we use here in America goes by months, while the calendar Vietnamese culture uses follows the moon.”

   Nguyen said, “The New Year in Vietnamese culture isn’t December 31; it is usually celebrated late January or early February. In my culture, we celebrate in many different ways. The New Year is celebrated like New Year’s and Christmas put together. It is a very big event. We usually spend time with a lot of family, and the traditional Vietnamese food for New Years is called banh tet, and it is the only food eaten on the first day of New Year’s.” 

   “One of the traditional Vietnamese activities happens on the first day of the New Year, in the morning as soon as you leave your house. Either direction that you go – north, east, south, west – your direction will give you different outcomes. For example, if you want love, you’d go east. So, the first place you go to on the first day of New Year’s has to align with the thing that you want,” said Nguyen. 

     The New Year across Latin American culture is traditionally very different than the average American celebrates. For example, Junior Mia Sandoval said, “We do things like light fireworks, eat food like Pozole and Tamales, and much more. We get to spend quality time together, reminiscing on past memories that our family has gone through. It’s a very fun day.” The New Year is a very memorable day of the year for all. It’s the beginning of new goals and ambitions one has for the New Year. 

   In conclusion, New Year’s is celebrated across the world and can be celebrated in many fun and unique ways. Whether you are looking forward to new beginnings or excited to spend time with family, have a happy new year.