Post Quiz New Year Fun Facts - Answers
Created | Updated Dec 31, 2017
Take a cup o' kindness, and enjoy these answers.
New Year's Fun Facts: Answers
Julius Caesar held the first 1 January New Year's celebration. We have no word on whether any balls were dropped in Rome.
- January is named for the Roman god Janus. What is particularly interesting about him?
He had two faces. He was also the god of doors. Makes sense. 'This door swings both ways. . . ' - New Year celebrations go back thousands of years to ancient Mesopotamia. What was different about their New Year's Day?
It was held in the spring. First new moon after the vernal equinox. If that sounds familiar, you probably know about the Easter mess. - What made a really good New Year's gift for an ancient Persian?
An egg. Or two or three. Eggs were the symbol of new birth. No, there wasn't a New Year's Bunny. Srsly. - Yeah, yeah, the Germans put pigs on everything, Appalachian hillbillies eat black-eyed peas, and Pennsylvania Dutchies gobble up sauerkraut. What do all these New Year foods have in common?
They're symbols of good luck. Asserting that black-eyed peas resemble coins is ridiculous, however. They're roundish, lumpy, brown, and have these black eyes. How is that like a coin? However, you can dry them and store them all winter. In Germany, if you 'have had pig', you are lucky. Not making this up. So have pig this year, folks! - What does 'auld lang syne' mean?
'Old long since', or 'long long ago'. If you knew this and you aren't Scots, pat yourself on the back. - What exciting thing happened for the first time on 31 December 1907 in New York City?
They dropped the ball. It weighed 700 pounds, was 5 feet in diameter, and was lit by 100 25-watt light bulbs. The brilliance must have been dazzling. - What exciting thing didn't happen on 31 December 1942 in New York City?
They didn't drop the ball. There was a war on. Instead, they had a one-minute silence followed by chimes from an amplifier truck. Sad. - What will approximately 10,000 insane people be doing on 1 January 2018 in Philadelphia?
Marching in the Mummers' Parade. The tradition goes back to the 17th Century, and it's loads of fun, but Philadelphia is colder than an iceberg this time of year, so you're better off watching it on television, unless you're as crazy as they are. - What form of crime reaches its annual peak during the New Year holiday?
Grand Theft Auto. Not the game, the actual crime. Who knew? - A traditional feature of Japanese New Year's Eve celebrations is 'Daiku'. What is it, and where did it originate?
Playing Beethoven's Ninth. The Japanese call this glorious symphony 'Big Nine'. The custom originated with German POWs in Japan during the Great War. (Japan was on the Allied side that time.)
We hope you enjoy/did enjoy/are nursing fond memories of this New Year's celebration. Just ask everyone around you to talk softly and bring you some eggnog.
