3! 2! 1! Where will you be seen for the last minutes of 2016? To us New Year’s means friends, parties and glitter, but behind all of that the holiday means much more. Over centuries the calendar fell out of sync with the sun, so to solve this problem Emperor Julius Caesar got help from the best known astronomers and mathematicians. He decided to name January 1st the first day of the New Year, to honor Janus who is the god of new beginnings. From this, over centuries countries have celebrated the holiday in their own ways.
Countries often bring in the New Year by enjoying food, festivals and spending time with family and friends. Such has our own tradition of the “ball drop”, other cities have traditions of their own. Such as in Spain people toss grapes to symbolize their hopes for the year. Many Christian religions celebrate by having “watchnight services” in which they hold services past midnight. Other places such as theme parks, hold their own celebrations and keep their parks open past twelve o’clock.
Nikki Jenkins loves celebrating the New Year with friends and families. “In the past I’ve gone to church and I’ve also been to New York for parties and going to New York was definitely my favorite because there is so much to do and I love how diverse all the people there are,” says Nikki. “This year I will most likely be celebrating with friends, possibly in Washington D.C.”
While people cultures the holiday differently, people seem to have the same intentions and meanings behind it. By welcoming the New Year people are able to start fresh by paying off debts, mending broken relationships and changing moral dilemmas. People have even been seen jumping in bodies of water to “wash off” their wrong doings. Senior Madison Dirlam shares what the holiday means to her. “Every year has its up s and downs but we all know that it will eventually come to an end and we will start fresh the next one” says Madison. Senior Tress Cochran loves the meaning behind it. “It gives everyone a chance to have a clean slate and become the person they wish they were the previous year, I love the spirit of it all” says Tress.
If you’re tired of watching the ball drop every year at home or just going out to dinner with friends, there is lots to do right year in Warrenton. You can head out to town and walk around to see the lights or stop in by one of the restaurants and grab a bite to eat or even attend the infamous “First Night”. A non-profit and alcohol free environment hosted by the Bluemont Concert Series. Presented with more than fifty musical productions, from 7:00pm to 11:45pm, followed with a courthouse illumination at twelve. Your whole family is welcome, prices include $10.00 for Adults, $8.00 for seniors (65+), Kids 3-12 $5 and kids under 3 get in free.