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 favor 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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Let the holiday shopping commence
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Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
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Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
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Get the bear facts
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At the gates of the ksar
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The most Instagrammable bird?
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Whale hello there!
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National Park Week: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
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Don t go chasing waterfalls
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Pollinators: not to be sneezed at
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Social climbing
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Cinco de Mayo
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Giving Tuesday
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Balloon Ascension Day
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Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
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Celebrating a Paris landmark
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Cold? What cold?
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International Sloth Day
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Happy Father s Day
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Provence blooms with lavender at Sénanque Abbey
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Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia
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Let us introduce you…
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It s Independence Day in Mexico
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Celebrating Chile’s Independence Day
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Birds and bees, and why they re so important
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Shakespeare Day
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Cenote near Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
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A day of service for Dr. King
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International Rock Day
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Let’s celebrate
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