New Years History
December 31st is also known as
New Year's Eve
Where can you go to watch the famous ball drop on New Year's Eve?
Times Square (New York City)
The word January comes from this language.
a.) Latin
b.) German
c.) Spanish
d.) Italian
a.) Latin
A popular non-alcohol drink often used to ring in the New Years is...
a.) Orange juice
b.) Sparkling grape/apple juice
c.) Cranberry juice
d.) Lemon-lime soda
b.) Sparkling Grape/Apple Juice
In this country, a cake known as galette de rois, or Kings Cake is eaten on epiphany with the goal of having the piece of cake with a small charm hidden inside.
a.) Italy
b.) Japan
c.) France
d.) United States
c.) France
The most common New Year's resolution.
To be healthier
In this country they eat Soba noodles as a popular dish for New Years
a.) Korea
b.) China
c) Vietnam
d.) Japan
d.) Japan
What is Chinese New Year also called?
a.) Lunar New Year
b.) Spring Festival
c.) Solar Eclipse
d.) Lunar Eclipse
a.) Lunar New Year or b.) Spring Festival
What age group is most likely to create a New Years Resolution?
a.) 18-29
b.) 30-44
c.) 45-64
d.) 65+
a.) 18–29 year-olds
When do the Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Years?
a.) Late November - Early December
b.) Late December - Early January
c.) Late January - Early February
d.) Late February - Early March
c.) Late January - Early February
What is the 2027's Chinese New Year Animal?
a.) Goat
b.) Snake
c.) Horse
d.) Dragon
a.) Goat
What are several things people might do at midnight on New Year's Eve? (Name at least 4)
Kiss, Toast (drink champagne), Set off fireworks, Wish someone 'Happy New Year!', Shout, Dance, Eat, Blow horns, use noisemakers, Eat 12 grapes (Spanish Tradition), etc.
In what country is wearing red underwear a New Year's Eve tradition?
a.) America
b.) Germany
c.) Italy
d.) Norway
c.) Italy
Name 2 of the top 3 places to celebrate New Year's in America.
Las Vegas, Disneyworld and New York City
Who was proclaimed to be the Empress of India on January 1, 1877?
a.) Queen Victoria
b.) Queen Elizabeth
c.) Queen Mary
d.) Queen Lexica
a.) Queen Victoria
This poem-turned song is typically sung and associated with New Year's Day?
a.) Up we go
b.) Auld Lang Syne
c.) Shout
d.) New Years Day
b.) Auld Lang Syne
Out of America's top 5 favorite holidays, New Years takes ___ place.
a.) 1st
b.) 2nd
c.) 3rd
d.) 4th
e.) 5th
d.) 4th
Hanging onions is a New Years Eve tradition in this country...
a.) Italy
b.) Greece
c.) Mexico
d.) Spain
b.) Greece
This many people usually gather in New York City’s Times Square to watch the ball drop.
a.) 500,000
b.) 1 million
c.) 1.4 million
d.) 2.3 million
b.) 1 million
In this country, the men of certain villages will dress up as a creature called the Namahage with the goal of scaring children into behaving for the New Year?
a.) Puerto Rico
b.) Peru
c.) Japan
d.) Korea
c.) Japan
This infamous Roman dictator is credited with making January 1st a National Holiday
a.) Julius Caesar
b.) Lucius Quinctius
c.)Marcus Aemilius Papus
a.) Julius Caesar
A Southern tradition says that one should eat this number of black-eyed peas in order to have good luck for the entire year.
a.) 12
b.) 100
c.) 365
d.) 500
c.) 365
This is the name of the famous parade that occurs every January 1st in Pasadena, California...
a.) Tulip Parade
b.) Iris Parade
c.) Rose Parade
d.) Cactus Parade
Hint: the name of the parade is based off a flower that is very commonly produced in California
c.) Rose Parade or Tournament of Roses Parade
What year did the first ball drop in NYC?
a.) 1896
b.) 1907
c.) 1923
d.) 1956
b.) 1907
What major country celebrates New Year's first?
a.) China
b.) New Zealand
c.) Australia
d.) Kiribati (group of oceanic islands)
d.) Kiribati
The first country to celebrate New Year’s Eve annually is the Oceanic country Kiribati—the island of Kiritimati to be precise. Kiribati is an island country, made up of more than 30 islands and atolls spread over hundreds of miles, and the International Date Line actually loops eastward around the country's easternmost islands (including Kiritimati) in order to keep them all in the same day (otherwise the country's eastern islands would be up to 24 hours behind the western islands). Kiribati is also the only country to have territory in all four hemispheres.
The cities and countries of Chatham Islands, New Zealand; Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia; and Sydney, Australia celebrate the new year shortly after Kiribati.