New Years is a holiday celebrated everywhere around the world and symbolizes new opportunities, friendships, and resolutions. Here at South, New Years is quite the popular holiday. It’s the day where some students make plans to meet up with friends and go have a good time, while others just like to hang out with their families.

New Years is the oldest celebrated holiday, which became a custom about 4000 years ago in ancient Babylon. Their new year began on the first day of Spring, or the first new moon. Their New Years celebrations lasted eleven days, each day consisting of different activities.

Roman emperors started to tamper with the calendar until it was based off the sun. This made it so the last year, based on the moon, was 445 days long. The tradition of making resolutions also dates back to the ancient Babylonians, according to www.simpletoremember.com/

According to wilstar.com, some people believe that consuming certain foods will bring good luck for the new year. Some popular foods are black-eyed peas, ham, and cabbage. They represent luck and prosperity.

Times have changed since these traditions were celebrated. Although a few of these customs live on, New Years is a somewhat different holiday today. Instead of ancient traditions being celebrated, fun and partying seem to be taking over.

“I usually like to hang out with my friends, chill, and party on new years,” said junior Kate Amann, “other than that, I don’t do much.”

Although this may be a common tradition, some South High students have particular family traditions that they carry out through the years.

“Almost every new years I go to Welch Village with my family to ski,” said sophomore Avery Katz, “It’s fun being able to just relax and have a good time over the holidays.”

The new years for teens in other countries hold out their own unique traditions as well as universal celebrations. Students such as Fernando LeClaire focus more on the family traditions of the holiday.

“On New Years me and my family  watch a movie called \”Dinner For One\” which is pretty funny” said German exchange student and LeClaire. This is a classic cabaret sketch from the 1920’s and has become a New Years tradition across Germany. The comedy short is about a ninety-year-old women named Miss Sophie who throws an anniversary party every year. Unfortunately, she has outlived most of her friends.

“Some times my family will play games such as ‘Nobody’s Perfect’,” said LeClaire “that is a tradition that’s personal to my family, it is not widespread.”

A tradition that is very widespread in Europe is fireworks. “My friends and I usually go watch fireworks, then to a party” said Farzad Sharifi, a senior and Exchange student from Finland.

German exchange student and sophomore, Selim Ayhan also celebrates this custom. “Every year we watch the fireworks while chilling with friends. Then we usually go to a club or party” said Ayhan.

Although people all have their own specific traditions, there is one thing that is on the agenda of new years celebrators everywhere. “Watching the ball drop is one tradition I follow every year” said Amann.