Every December 31, the whole world counts down to the same moment, but no two places celebrate it the same way. Some people eat grapes at midnight. Others throw plates or jump off chairs. One town in Alabama drops a giant MoonPie.
These facts make good conversation starters for your party, and the trivia questions at the end are ready to play. They go from easy enough for kids to hard enough for the know-it-all at your table.
Where New Year’s Came From
People have been celebrating a new year for a very long time. The date just hasn’t always been January 1.
About 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians held a new year festival in March, when spring crops were planted. It lasted 11 days.
The Babylonians also made promises to their gods to pay their debts and return things they had borrowed. Many historians see these as some of the first New Year’s resolutions.
January is named after Janus, a Roman god with two faces. One face looked back at the old year, and one looked ahead to the new one.
When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar more than 2,000 years ago, January 1 became the start of the year.
The Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote down the words to “Auld Lang Syne” in 1788. He based them on an older folk song.
Bandleader Guy Lombardo made “Auld Lang Syne” an American New Year’s tradition. He played it on his New Year’s Eve radio broadcasts starting in 1929.
Kiribati, a Pacific island nation, is one of the first places on Earth to ring in the new year. Some uninhabited U.S. islands near Hawaii are among the last.
Samoa and American Samoa sit only about 100 miles apart, but they celebrate New Year’s almost a full day apart. In 2011, Samoa moved to the other side of the international date line and skipped December 30 entirely.
Times Square Ball Drop Facts
The ball drop is the most-watched New Year’s countdown in the U.S. It started because of a fireworks ban.
The first ball dropped in Times Square on New Year’s Eve in 1907. The New York Times had been holding fireworks shows there, and the city banned them.
The first ball was made of iron and wood, weighed 700 pounds and was 5 feet across. It was covered in light bulbs.
The idea came from “time balls.” Starting in the 1800s, harbors dropped a ball at a set time each day so ship captains could set their clocks.
The ball didn’t drop in 1942 or 1943. Because of wartime blackout rules, the crowd held a minute of silence and listened to chimes from sound trucks instead.
The Constellation Ball made its debut for the 2026 countdown. It’s 12.5 feet across, weighs more than 12,000 pounds and is covered in 5,280 Waterford crystals. It’s the ninth ball in the drop’s history.
At midnight, about 3,000 pounds of confetti falls on the crowd, all thrown by hand. Some of the confetti pieces have wishes written on them by visitors.
An estimated 1 million people crowd into Times Square to watch, and many arrive in the early afternoon to get a spot.
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Plenty of towns copied the ball drop and gave it a local twist. Here are some favorites.
Mobile, Alabama, lowers a glowing MoonPie that weighs about 600 pounds. The city calls itself the home of Mardi Gras, and MoonPies are a favorite parade throw there.
Mount Olive, North Carolina, drops a glittery pickle about 6 feet long. It comes down at 7 p.m., which is midnight Greenwich Mean Time, so families can celebrate and still get home early.
Plymouth, Wisconsin, drops a giant wedge of cheese.
Las Cruces, New Mexico, drops a chile pepper, and Flagstaff, Arizona, drops a pinecone.
Port Clinton, Ohio, lowers a 600-pound fiberglass walleye named Wylie.
Boise, Idaho, has dropped a giant glowing potato for more than a decade.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, drops a 400-pound yellow Peep chick. Peeps are made in Bethlehem.
Folly Beach, South Carolina, drops a sparkly flip-flop.
Pasadena, California, has held the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day since 1890. If January 1 falls on a Sunday, the parade moves to Monday.
Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade, with its sequined costumes and string bands, has marched on New Year’s Day since 1901.
Polar bear plunges are a popular way to start the year. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club in New York has been swimming in winter since 1903.
👉 Turn a polar plunge into a fundraiser
With Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers, each plunger gets their own page to share with friends and family, and your cause sees every gift add up toward one goal. Have plungers sign a waiver online with Forms and Waivers before they ever reach the water, and use a sign up to fill your volunteer slots for towels, hot cocoa and check-in.
Many New Year’s foods are eaten for luck. Most are tied to money, long life or moving forward.
In Spain, people eat 12 grapes at midnight, one with each chime of the clock. Each grape stands for good luck in one month of the coming year.
In the Southern U.S., many families eat Hoppin’ John, a dish made with black-eyed peas, on New Year’s Day for luck. Collard greens stand for money, and cornbread stands for gold.
Pork is a common lucky food because pigs root forward with their snouts. Lobster and chicken are skipped in some homes, since lobsters move backward and chickens scratch backward.
In the Philippines, many families set out 12 round fruits, one for each month. Round shapes look like coins.
In Japan, people eat long buckwheat noodles called toshikoshi soba on New Year’s Eve for a long life.
In Italy, lentils are eaten at midnight because they look like little coins.
In Greece, families bake a vasilopita, a cake with a coin hidden inside. Whoever finds the coin is said to have good luck all year.
In the Netherlands, people eat oliebollen, fried dough balls dusted with powdered sugar.
Genius Tip
Throw a lucky foods potluck. Make one slot for each tradition, like grapes, black-eyed peas, lentils and round fruit, and let guests claim a dish. Each slot fills once someone takes it, so you won't end up with five bags of chips and no grapes at midnight.
Some of the best New Year’s traditions are a little strange. Here’s how people celebrate in other places.
In Denmark, people save old plates and smash them on friends’ doorsteps. A big pile means lots of friends. Many Danes also jump off chairs at midnight to “leap” into the new year.
In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay. The first person to step into your home after midnight is the “first foot,” and they bring gifts like shortbread or a lump of coal for luck.
In Brazil, many people wear white and go to the beach. They jump over seven waves and make a wish for each one.
In Colombia and other parts of Latin America, people walk around the block with an empty suitcase. It’s said to bring a year of travel.
In many Latin American countries, the color of your underwear matters. Yellow is for luck and money, and red is for love.
In Japan, Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times to clear away the troubles of the past year.
In Ecuador, families make life-size figures called “años viejos” (old years) and burn them at midnight to leave the bad times behind.
In Russia, some people write a wish on paper, burn it, drop the ashes in a glass of champagne and drink it before 12:01.
In Puerto Rico, some people toss a bucket of water out the window to chase away bad spirits.
In Germany, many families watch an old British comedy sketch called “Dinner for One” on TV every New Year’s Eve.
Fun Facts About New Year’s Resolutions
Resolutions are one of the oldest New Year’s traditions, and also one of the easiest to break.
The most common resolutions haven’t changed much in years: exercise more, eat better and save money.
The second Friday in January is sometimes called “Quitter’s Day.” Fitness app Strava looked at millions of workouts and found that’s when many people give up on their goals.
Goals that are small and specific tend to last longer than big, vague ones. “Walk three days a week” is easier to keep than “get in shape.”
Gyms and fitness classes usually see their busiest sign up weeks of the year in January.
January is when groups start over too
Clubs, teams and PTAs often collect spring dues and fill volunteer slots in January. Dues and Fees lets members pay online, with recurring payments if you need them. A volunteer scheduling sign up covers MLK Day of Service projects and spring events, and automatic reminders go out so you don't have to send them.
These questions start easy and get harder. Use the easy round with kids or a mixed crowd. Save the hard round for a tiebreaker.
Easy New Year’s Trivia
What city is famous for dropping a ball on New Year’s Eve? Answer: New York City, in Times Square
What month does the new year start in? Answer: January
What do we call a promise to do something better in the new year? Answer: A resolution
What song do many people sing right after midnight? Answer: “Auld Lang Syne”
In Spain, how many grapes do people eat at midnight? Answer: 12
What color do many people in Brazil wear on New Year’s Eve? Answer: White
What sweet treat drops at midnight in Mobile, Alabama? Answer: A MoonPie
What colorful paper falls on the crowd in Times Square at midnight? Answer: Confetti
What do people do from 10 down to 1 right before midnight? Answer: Count down
What do people in Denmark jump off of at midnight? Answer: Chairs
Medium New Year’s Trivia
January is named after which Roman god with two faces? Answer: Janus
In what year did the first Times Square ball drop? Answer: 1907
Which Scottish poet wrote down the words to “Auld Lang Syne”? Answer: Robert Burns
What do Southern U.S. families eat on New Year’s Day with black-eyed peas? Answer: Hoppin’ John
What is New Year’s Eve called in Scotland? Answer: Hogmanay
How many times do Buddhist temples in Japan ring their bells on New Year’s Eve? Answer: 108
What famous parade takes place in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day? Answer: The Tournament of Roses Parade
What do people in Denmark smash on their friends’ doorsteps? Answer: Old plates
What food drops at 7 p.m. in Mount Olive, North Carolina? Answer: A pickle
Why do some people avoid eating lobster on New Year’s Day? Answer: Lobsters move backward
Hard New Year’s Trivia
Which ancient people held some of the earliest known new year festivals about 4,000 years ago? Answer: The Babylonians
Which Roman leader’s calendar made January 1 the start of the year? Answer: Julius Caesar
Why didn’t the ball drop in Times Square in 1942 and 1943? Answer: Wartime blackout rules
Why does the Mount Olive pickle drop at 7 p.m. instead of midnight? Answer: 7 p.m. Eastern is midnight Greenwich Mean Time
Which Pacific island nation is one of the first to ring in the new year? Answer: Kiribati
Which country skipped December 30, 2011, when it moved across the international date line? Answer: Samoa
Which bandleader made “Auld Lang Syne” a New Year’s tradition on American radio? Answer: Guy Lombardo
What happens to the Rose Parade when January 1 falls on a Sunday? Answer: It moves to Monday, January 2
Ships once used “time balls” for what purpose? Answer: To set their clocks
What are the life-size figures burned at midnight in Ecuador called? Answer: Años viejos
How to Run a New Year’s Trivia Round
You don’t need a big setup. Split the room into teams of three to five, hand out paper and pens, and pick one person to read the questions. Here’s a simple plan that fits into a party without taking it over.
Round
What to Do
Time
Warm-up
Read a few facts out loud while guests arrive and grab food.
10 min
Easy round
Play the easy questions so kids and new guests can join in.
10 min
Medium round
Give teams 30 seconds per question to talk it over.
10 min
Hard round
Count these as double points to keep every team in the game.
10 min
Tiebreaker
Ask a number question, like the weight of the Constellation Ball. Closest answer wins.
5 min
Sign Ups for New Year’s Plans
Whether you’re planning a family party, a classroom countdown or a service day in January, a sign up helps you keep track of who’s coming and what they’re bringing. Start with one of these templates and change it to fit your group.
New Year's Eve Potluck
Let guests claim dishes, drinks and supplies so you get the lucky foods and the snacks covered without double ups.
Posted by Kate White
