It is New Year's Eve in Times Square, New York City. The large
noisy crowd, wearing party hats and bundled up against the cold,
glances up at the building at One Times Square, where a lighted
ball rests atop a pole on the roof. At precisely one minute before
midnight, the ball begins its seventy-seven foot descent to the
bottom of the pole. As it nears the bottom, the spellbound crowd
counts down the last seconds, chanting, "5-4-3-2-1!"
As the ball touches bottom, the crowd erupts into cheering, shouting
"Happy New Year!" and the lighted sign signifying the
new year is illuminated. Horns blare, couples embrace and Auld
Lang Syne plays in the background.
In other countries, New Year's is celebrated in different ways
and sometimes on different dates. In China, the date celebrated
varies every year as they use a different calendar. On February
7, 2008, the Chinese year of 4706 will begin. New Year's is an
important celebration in China. Families gather to celebrate together
and festivities can last two weeks. People wear red clothes for
luck, give children money and shoot off fireworks. The celebrations
culminate in the Lantern Festival.
Most people are familiar with customs in their own countries
and perhaps the more well-known ones from other countries. But
why do we celebrate New Years in these ways? From where did the
customs and celebrations originate? Did we always celebrate New
Year's at the same time and in the same way?
In this mini unit, you can: learn about the customs for celebrating
the New Year, discover the history behind New Year's customs and
see how different countries in the world celebrate the holiday,
read about the famous ball used in New York and make your own
version of the ball at Time’s Square and many noisemakers
to ring in the new year.
