Did You Know: New Year's Trivia    

The ball in Times Square was first dropped in 1908 to signal the beginning of the new year.

New Year's Day is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago.

In Greece, New Year’s Day is also celebrated as the Festival of Saint Basil. Children leave their shoes by the fireside on New Year’s Day with the hope that Saint Basil will come and fill their shoes with gifts.

In Japan, on New Year’s Day everyone gets dressed in their new clothes and homes are decorated with pine branches and bamboo, symbols of long life.

In Scotland, the New Year is called Hogmanay. In the villages of Scotland, barrels of tar are set afire and then rolled down the streets. This ritual symbolizes that the old year is burned up and the new one is allowed to enter.

Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.

The Tournament of Roses Parade started in 1886 when members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers to celebrate the ripening of the orange crop in California. The Rose Bowl football game was first played as part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902. It was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. The football game returned to the festival in 1916.

Astrological Signs: Capricorn (Dec. 23 - Jan. 20) and Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19)

Flowers of the Month: Carnation, Snowdrop

Birthstone: Garnet

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. -- Benjamin Franklin