New Year's Day

New Year's Day History

New Year's Day, marking the start of a new calendar year, is observed with great enthusiasm in the United Kingdom. Recognised universally, this observance enables people to welcome the forthcoming year with hope and excitement and bid farewell to the old year. It is viewed as an occasion for renewal and making fresh starts, often symbolised by making resolutions for personal growth or improvement. Besides, it is a day of national holiday, most businesses and schools close, and celebratory events such as fireworks displays, concerts and parties are organised across the country.

Historically, New Year's Day was not always celebrated on January 1st. It was only in 1752 when the Gregorian Calendar was adopted in Britain that January 1st became officially recognised as the first day of the new year. A notable aspect for the British is the broadcast of 'Ringing in the New Year', which includes chimes from Big Ben, the iconic clock in London, heard at midnight to announce the arrival of the New Year. This is followed by a rendition of 'Auld Lang Syne', a traditional song symbolising unity and fellowship, typically sung in groups, and is deeply embedded in the British New Year celebrations.

New Year’s Day in the United Kingdom is traditionally observed with a range of festivities. For some, it’s an opportunity to recover from New Year's Eve festivities with a relaxed day at home with family. In contrast, others take a more active approach, with events like the New Year's Day Parade in London, and the Loony Dook swim in Scotland, where participants take a dip in the freezing waters of the Firth of Forth. A common contemporary British custom is the New Year's Day Concert from Vienna broadcast on BBC television. New Year's Day falls on January 1st in the United Kingdom. The date remains constant regardless of the day of the week it falls on and marks the beginning of the new year according to the Gregorian calendar.

Facts about New Year's Day

• Worldwide Baby New Year is the most common symbol associated with this holiday. He is a toddler dressed in a diaper, hat, and sash bearing the numbers of the new year. The myth states that he matures into an old man during the course of the year. On December 31st, he hands his hat and sash to the new Baby New Year.
• In the early Roman calendar, New Year was celebrated on March 1st. The new celebration of New Year on January 1st started in Rome in 153 BC. The New Year was moved to January because it was a month when two newly elected Roman consuls began their tenure, which reflected the beginning of civil year.
• Midnight chimes from the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, known as Big Ben, are broadcasted nationwide as people count down to the new year.
• In the village of Allendale, England, the New Year is greeted by a procession of men carrying flaming barrels on their heads, a tradition dating back over 160 years.

In the News and Trending in the UK for New Year's Day

Top things to do in the UK for New Year's Day

• Make new resolutions for the upcoming year and let go of what happened in the previous one.
• Enjoy a hike with friends and family known as New Year’s Day walks and enjoy fresh air while beginning the new year on a healthy note.
• Visit the town of Allendale, in Northumberland, to watch the unique event Allendale Tar Barl, where men carry burning barrels of tar through the streets to ward off evil spirits.