Happy New Year From Rysons Staff
ByHappy New Year from Don and Anne and all the staff at Rysons Music Centre
extending warm wishes and hoping all your dreams come true.
Where did the year go?
New Year celebration is one of the oldest holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon 4000 years ago. Babylon at first celebrated for ll days, as their king was stripped and sent away,so the people did as they pleased . On the eleven day the king returned in parade of grand stature wearing fines robes and garments, and the people then had to work hard and prepare for a new start.
Celts new year celebration was called Samhain which was at the end of Oct. At Samhain people put mistletoe to keep ghosts away, they believed this was the time the dead returned to haunt the living.
Rome: January was named for the Roman god Janus who had 2 heads one to look back and one to look forward to the New Year,The Romans changed New Year so many times that it was out of sync with the sun. In 153 BC Roman Senate changed New Years Day to January 1st. In order to get back in sync with the sun the previous year had 445 days.
Eqypt celebration: New Year celebrations were at the time of the flooding of the Nile which was at the end of September. Singing dancing and playing music continued for one month. Statues of Amon and family were put on a boat and taken down the Nile in hope of good crops in the coming year.
TRADITIONS OF SOME COUNTRIES FOR THE NEW YEAR
Robert Burn 1796 wrote ‘Auld Lang Syne ‘one of the most popular songs sung on New Years Eve made famous by Guy Lombardi from London Ontario . Guy Lombardi was a big band leader who always signed off with Auld Lang Syne.
Oshogatsu {JAPAN} The New Year is the most important holiday in Japan. Misunderstandings and grudges are forgiven and houses are scrubbed from top to bottom. At midnight on Dec. 31 Budhest temples stike the gongs l08 times to expel 108 types of human weakness . New Year day itself a day of joy and no work is to be done. Children receive small gift with money inside. New Year cards is a popular tradition.
Netherlands: Dutch burn bonfires of Christmas tree to plunge the old and welcome the new. Spain eat 12 grapes at midnight to secure 12 happy months. Greece; New Year and St. Basil are both on the same day. Traditional food is vassilopitta is a cake with silver and gold coins baked in the middle and if you receive one of these coins you will have luck all year so they say.
United States drop of the ball in several states is a popular custom. The ball in New York originally was made of wood and iron. Today the ball is made of Waterford crystal and weights about 1070 lbs. it is 6 feet in diameter. When the ball drops Auld Lang Syne is sung and many noise makers are played.
May all your New Years Resolutions be granted and have a very healthy and prosperous year.
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Comments are always welcomed . Anne