Happy New Year"s Day! Humans have celebrated the new year since at least 2000 BCE, but various cultures have chosen different days coinciding with equinoxes or lunar cycles. The Romans established January 1 as the beginning of the year in 153 BCE, but this fell out of favour throughout Europe during the medieval era. Since 1582 and the widespread adoption of the Gregorian calendar, however, much of the world now celebrates the new year today. In addition to watching fireworks, drinking champagne and making resolutions in the wee hours of the morning, other global traditions include making noise, eating lucky foods and giving gifts.
Happy New Year!
Today in History
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Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
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Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
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Giving Tuesday
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The road less taken?
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Lion cubs, South Africa
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Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
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The sun sets on British Summer Time
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Happy Hogmanay!
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Out of this world
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Last Night of the Proms
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Sweetheart Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
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Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
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Toledo, Spain
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Frosty Finland
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Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
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Heads together
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San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
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World Octopus Day
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Milky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park
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Gespensterwald, Nienhagen, Germany
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West of Windermere
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Where is this ethereal mountain?
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We’re all smiles for World Hippo Day
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World Dolphin Day
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Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
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Step back in time...
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Happy St Patricks Day!
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A remote oasis in Texas
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The other great barrier reef
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Val di Funes, Italy
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