Essay on Happy New Year: Its Celebration, New Year Eve & Importance

Essay on Happy New Year (Celebration, New Year Eve, Importance)

In this article, we have published an essay on happy new year and its celebration, new year eve & importance for students and children.

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Essay on Happy New Year 2021 for Students and Children

New Year is a time where everybody thinks of treasuring the cheerful spirit of the moment. There are unique ways to experience and explore more about the story of the New Year.

As the day approaches, college students and even school going children get indulged in writing essays on the relevance of New Year that they can celebrate this day with so much beatitude and hopefulness. 

In traditional times, it was a Roman calendar which had only ten months and designated 1st March as the New Year. However, in the Gregorian calendar, there are 12 months in every year and the New Year falls on 1st January, and this date is widely accepted and celebrated. 

Also Read – 60+ Best New year Resolution which will change your life

Happy New Year Celebration

New Year is celebrated worldwide with the utmost excitement and fun. It is a special day for everyone, and many celebrate the coming year in their way. You can see many buying various things like clothes and sweets from the market.

Even these days the shops are very crowded. 1st Jan New Year celebration in India is full of rituals and food. People celebrate it with dance and music, and children are happy because they get different food to eat and enjoy the tour with friends and family. 

Various communities in India celebrate their New Year on different dates as per their calendars. But, overall, it is a festival that brings happiness in people and spreads it everywhere. Indians celebrate this day on 1st Jan, but as per the Hindu scriptures, this day falls between March and April.

We celebrate a New Year of January as per the English calendar. So, every religion has its calendar; for instance, the Chinese celebrate this day in February. Also, the most country celebrates it on December 31st after midnight i.e. on 1st Jan. 

People congrats with each other and do fireworks at the same time. This day is one festival that are considered as the oldest holiday to date. The date of the celebration and how it is celebrated in various regions has changed over the years.

In traditional days, it relates the celebration to fetish. Christian celebrates it as the festival of Sunnah. 

The day reflects a fresh beginning and always teaches one to move forward. Whatever we did in the old year, learned successful or unsuccessful, learn from the past, and proceed to the future with a new hope is the significance of this celebration.

Just we are not sad at the end of the old year but welcome the New Year with great happiness & enthusiasm. Similarly, we shouldn’t be sad about the last time in life instead, look forward to thinking about passaging time and welcome fresh opportunities and try to improve life through them. 

On this day, you can see parties being held in many places in the celebration’s joy. It entertains one through delicious dishes, fun games, songs, and dances.

Some people also organise some religious programs and remember God and welcome the New Year. Even special programs are broadcasted on television and radio. You can see a loved one’s giving and taking greetings cards, gifts, and flowers from one another. 

You can see Indian streets full of New Year Shayari and greetings are written on roads with colours. Jan 1 is one of the most famous picnic days of India, so all the tourist places are filled everywhere. So, this way, we celebrate the Happy New Year. 

New Year Eve 2021

New Year Eve is one of the largest global celebrations because it marks the last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, December 31; the day before the New Year. So, count down to the New Year no matter where you are in the world. 

What Do People Do in Happy New Year Eve?

Happy New Year Eve is a day mixed with feelings for many individuals. This is a time to celebrate the end of the year welcome what is in store in the New Year.

Also, this is a time where much experience a sense of nostalgia as they reflect on the events that took place in their lives in the past 12 months. Many start thinking about New Year’s resolution at this time of the year. 

Some people celebrate by attending midnight church services, while others gather around in public venues to count down for the closing seconds of the old year. Many hold parties to bid farewell to the finishing year and celebrate the day. The size of festive events can vary along with the themes.

You will find some people attending masquerade balls while others have costume parties. Some people also hold small gatherings or parties at their homes. Further, you will see firework displays highlight this special day Eve celebration. 

Public Life in New Year Eve

New Year Eve is a public holiday wide range of places among the countries. It is also a holiday for banks as it is a government holiday.

This is not a nationwide public holiday, but some businesses close early, schools are closed, and even many people may have a half-day off work. Those traveling through public transport must check with the local transport authorities on public transport schedules for this day. 

New Year Eve is the last day of the year and the day before New Year. This marks the beginning of a new year as per the Gregorian calendar. Pope Gregory XIII introduced this in 1582 and was adopted in some regions of Europe but was not used in different countries until even centuries later. 

New Year Eve festive can be traced back to celebrations in Europe that date back before Christianity spread. When many people in Europe converted to Christianity , they merged these festivals with Christian beliefs and then marked holidays like New year Eve & New Year celebration. 

It is crucial to record that not all culture follows the Gregorian calendar in observing New Year Eve & New year Day. For instance, the New Year in Islamic, Jewish, Coptic, Chinese, Hindu differs from that of the Gregorian calendar. 

Importance of Happy New Year 2021

New Year day is celebrated worldwide with great enthusiasm and zeal. This day is the festival when an entire community spreads joy everywhere and shares their feeling of happiness. Both children and youth are delighted on this special day.

They dance and enjoy together and are so happy for a moment that they forget any sorrows exists in their life. All enjoy 31st Dec night with full of energy. People exchange gifts and greetings cards with each other and there is a lot of crowds in the shops as people enjoy this day with frolic and fun. 

You will find a lot of celebration programs telecasting on TV and radio on 31st Dec night to give accord welcome of New Year. All the people celebrate on 31st Dec night and remember all the moments of the last year they enjoyed together. Even many countries rework on this special day at the stroke of midnight. 

You will find families who switch off their mobile at midnight and gather to enjoy the eve together. They will cut the pie and play traditional cards or do some more enjoyable things. You will find, on this day, much rework at midnight.

There is a lot of security and watch night services by government authorities on this day. You will also find articles been published by reputed companies in newspapers and magazines. They hope that next year brings a lot of expected changes that they hoped for last year.  

On this very day, youths are more concerned with enjoying meals with friends, exchanging gifts, shopping as they consider this festival as the source of the holiday rather than practicing religion. 

To cap it all, in the modern era, people celebrate New Year for enjoyment and ignore the value and importance of different festivals, so it is a duty of parents, Government and school authorities to educate children by giving proper info about this festival. I wish you a superb new year again. Hope you liked this essay on happy new year..

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New Year Essay for Students in English

New Year's Eve is a joyous festival celebrated all over the world. According to the Gregorian calendar, it marks the start of a new year (which contains 12 months and January 1 is counted as the first day of a new year). People all over the world begin making plans for new year's resolutions and preparations one month in advance.

New Year's Eve is a universal celebration that transcends cultural and caste boundaries, bringing joy to people worldwide. Celebrated with enthusiasm, people of all ages engage in various activities. Many schools and educational institutions observe a winter break, starting from Christmas Eve and extending until New Year's (January 1). The significance of New Year's lies in its representation of a fresh start, ushering in happiness as people bid farewell to the past year. This festive occasion symbolises hope and optimism, uniting individuals in the shared anticipation of new beginnings and the possibilities the upcoming year holds.  

The New Year is a time for people to put all of their bad experiences behind them and take a positive step into the future. Everyone wishes for their own and their loved ones' happiness, health, and prosperity in the coming New Year. For children, a new year is incomplete without three things: a Christmas tree, a New Year's Eve party with new dresses, and the required New Year's essay as part of their winter vacation homework).

How do People Around the World Celebrate?

A unique custom has been followed these days in every household – a New Year tree. In order to define this, it is nothing but the Christmas tree that gets decorated during the festive season and year-end. All the family members take part in decorating the Christmas tree/ New Year tree with various kinds of toys, bells, stars, candies, mistletoe, and colourful fairy lights.

New Year’s day is followed by different other customs and traditions in every household across the globe. Each culture celebrates this day in its own unique way. Some people start planning for a mini-vacation beforehand while some plan to spend quality time with their loved ones. The preparation begins with buying gifts, decorating houses, and purchasing new clothes.

India's New Year's Eve Celebration 

Everyone in India celebrates New Year on different days depending on their religion. Nonetheless, due to the influence of Western civilization, most people now celebrate New Year's Day on January 1 st as well. 

The advent of the New Year in India is marked by vibrant and diverse celebrations that resonate with cultural richness. It is a time when people extend heartfelt congratulations to their friends and family, sharing the joy of a fresh beginning. Hindus, in particular, embark on a tradition of thorough house cleaning, adorning their homes with saffron flags that symbolize auspiciousness.

The religious fervor escalates as bhajans echo in temples, creating a serene atmosphere. Special prayers are offered, fostering a spiritual ambiance across various religious sites. The New Year becomes a canvas for cultural expression, with events like Kavi Sammelan, Bhajan Sandhya, and Kalash Yatra captivating audiences in different locations. These festivities underscore the unity in diversity as India welcomes the promise of a new year with enthusiasm and reverence. 

January 1 as New Year’s Day

The early Roman Calendar has 10 months and 304 days, and each new year begins on the spring equinox; according to tradition, it was created by Romulus, the founder of Rome, in the eighth century B.C. Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, later added the months of Januarius and Februarius to the Roman Calendar in 1713 B.C.

Over the centuries, the calendar has been out of sync with the Sun. The emperor Caesar then decided to solve the mystery in 46 B.C. by consulting with the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians of the time. Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, which was very similar to the modern Gregorian calendar, which is still used by the majority of countries around the world.

Caesar established January 1 as the first day of the year, partly to honour Janus, the Roman god of beginnings (whose two faces allowed him to seem back to the past and forward into the longer term which was a part of his reforms). To commemorate the New Year, the Romans exchanged gifts and offered sacrifices to God Janus. They also went to loud parties and adorned their homes with laurel branches.

Traditions for the New Year

Many countries celebrate New Year from the evening of December 31 (also known as New Year's Eve) until the early hours of January 1 st , often with several meals and snacks to bring good fortune in the coming year. Grapes are known as a symbol of hope for the coming months and are thus used by people in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Legumes, such as lentils in Italy and black-eyed peas in the southern United States, have been a traditional New Year's dish in many countries and places because they are thought to resemble coins and future financial success. Pork is also a popular New Year's dish in some countries, including Austria, Hungary, Cuba, and Portugal, and it is believed that pigs represent progress and prosperity.

Rice pudding with an almond hidden inside it is served on New Year's Eve in many countries, including Sweden and Norway. It is said that whoever finds the almond will be blessed with 12 months of good fortune. In contrast, ring-shaped cakes and pastries are served during the New Year in the Netherlands, Greece, Mexico, and other countries. It denotes that the year has completed a full circle.

The Importance of the New Year

New Year's Eve is like a big, happy party that everyone in the world joins! It's a special time when we say goodbye to the old year and welcome the brand-new one with excitement. The New Year is like a magical reset button; it encourages us to start fresh, try new things, and bring more happiness into our lives.

In the New Year, we look back at the things we did in the past year and learn from them. If we make any mistakes, it's okay because the New Year gives us a chance to do better. We make promises to ourselves, called resolutions, to be kind, work hard, or learn something new. It's like setting goals for ourselves.

The New Year is a bit like a festival, but instead of lights and decorations, it's full of positive vibes and energy. This energy helps us tackle challenges and reach our goals. So, New Year's Eve is not just a date on the calendar; it's a special time that fills us with enthusiasm and makes our lives even more exciting!

New Year’s Short Essay

On New Year's Day, everyone puts on new clothes and congratulates one another. On the occasion of the New Year, many different types of programmes are held in schools. The event of the New Year retains various fireworks, dance competitions, singing competitions, and so on. At New Year's, the market is ablaze with colour, with colourful lights, and other decorative items adorning every surface. On the occasion of the New Year, some countries have a state holiday, so people go on picnics. The New Year brings with it new hopes; we should always be happy in any situation, good or bad.

On this day, everyone reflects on the significant events of the previous year and evaluates the circumstances under which the entire year was spent. And, to make amends for the shortcomings of the previous year, take a new oath on the auspicious occasion of the New Year and get involved in doing that work for the coming year with full hard work and dedication. The Western Civilization's New Year was celebrated in Babylon 4000 years ago, but it was held on March 21 st at the time. However, since the introduction of the Julian calendar, New Year's Day has been celebrated on January 1 st every year. Every year has 365 days, at the end of which the New Year is celebrated with great zeal. Because of the influence of Western civilization throughout the world, everyone now celebrates January 1 as New Year's Day.

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FAQs on New Year Essay

1. Why is New Year's Eve considered special?

New Year's Eve is special because it marks the end of the old year and the beginning of a fresh one. It's a time for reflection, celebration, and setting new goals.

2. What do people do on New Year's Eve?

People celebrate New Year's Eve by organizing parties, sending greetings to friends and family, and participating in various events. It's also a time for making resolutions for self-improvement.

3. Why is the New Year compared to a festival?

The New Year is compared to a festival because, like festivals, it brings joy and a sense of new beginnings. People often celebrate with enthusiasm, similar to how they celebrate festivals.

4. How do people prepare for the New Year?

Preparations for the New Year often include cleaning homes, decorating, and planning special activities. Many also reflect on the past year and make plans for the future.

5. Why do people make New Year's resolutions?

Making resolutions is a way for people to set goals and make positive changes in their lives. It symbolizes a fresh start and a commitment to self-improvement in the coming year.

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Essays About New Year: 5 Examples and Prompts

The new year marks a new beginning for everyone. If you are writing essays about new year, you can start by reading some essay examples. 

On new year’s day, everything resets. The calendar returns to January, the year’s first month, and the year starts anew. In the same way, most people see the start of a new year as the start of something better for themselves.

They want to improve themselves in specific ways by picking up good traits, being kinder, and trying to get out of bad habits and mannerisms; they set new year’s resolutions to attempt to break these habits. New year’s eve and new year’s day are undoubtedly some of the most important days of the year.

If you are writing an essay about new year, start by reading these examples. 

Are you looking for more? Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays

1. The New Year: A Time for Reflection and a Time to Move Forward by Susanne Carlson

2. my new year’s resolution by francisco sáez, 3. my lonely new year’s eve party will consist of sadness, hope, and life-changing gratitude by dawn bevier, 4. the psychology of new years eve reflection by ben farrell, 5. why is new year’s eve so depressing by leila ettachfini, 1. what is the importance of new year’s resolutions, 2. different new year celebrations, 3. is new year a new beginning, 4. why some people find new year’s celebrations depressing, 5. are new year’s resolutions a waste of time.

“With reflection and attention to positive change, taking note of what we have learned on our journey up until now, can give us the opportunity to apply it to the future, to take with us what is helpful and to leave behind what is not.”

Carlson writes about the importance of reflection and learning from one’s mistakes for the new year ahead. She sees the new year as a time for new beginnings; she wants it to be the start of positive change for others, just as it has been for her. Reflection is essential, as it allows us to see what we can improve on and do better in the coming year. 

“According to Goleman, the link between attention and excellence is behind almost all our achievements. Attention is needed not only to understand, learn or remember, but also to read the emotions of others, generate empathy and build good relationships. It is an asset that, despite being little known and despised, has great relevance in how we face life.”

Sáez briefly explains his new year’s resolution: to be more attentive. He wants to improve his attention and focus on forming better relationships with others, healthily using technology, and better his mental health. By reading the book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence , he hopes to hone his attention for the new year and do better in the future. You might also be interested in these essays about celebration .

“And yes, I know this pandemic is not done with its destruction, but I also know we’re fighting back like hell and making progress. And that long-awaited day of celebration is now coming sooner rather than later. And when that day comes, I can’t help but believe that the world will be a better place. I know I will be a better person and millions of you will be as well.”

In this solemn piece, Bevier laments new year’s celebrations during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed millions. She is sad for those she has lost and the loss of the pre-pandemic life she loved. However, she hopes the next new year will not be like the last, and she has learned to be grateful for the more minor things in life. The pandemic has taught her a lot, but most importantly, to be optimistic for the future and to look ahead to the new year with hope, kindness, and gratitude. 

“In reality, new years eve is no different to any other night of the year yet; we can’t help but assign some special meaning to the 31st of December. The psychological significance of the night can be a good thing, but it can also create tremendous anxiety for us.”

Farrell explains the psychological pressure of New Year’s Eve. This one night is no different from any other, but since it is the last one of the year, people feel the need to reflect not only on the day but the entire year. The imagery of big parties and “new beginnings” further add to the pressure, as people feel the need to have the “picture-perfect” new year. He says that while it can be helpful to use the beginning of the year as the start of positive change, it is more important to learn from one’s mistakes, no matter what time of the year. 

“‘Anytime you let social convention dictate what you do rather than doing what feels best for you, you run the risk of anxiety, depression, and so on,’ says Dr. Kubiak. New Year’s Eve leaves this group with a tough choice: go out even though you really don’t want to or deal with the uncomfortable task of telling your friends that you’re going to sit this one out.”

Ettachfini explains new year’s eve from the perspective of those who get anxious or depressed during this time. Failure during the year, social anxiety, and the feeling of having to say goodbye to the year are all contributing factors. She cites information from Dr. Larry Kubiak, who says that depression and anxiety are normal, but it is essential to talk about them with a loved one to prevent their consuming of your life. 

Top 5 Prompts on Essays about New Year

Essays about New Year: What is the importance of new year’s resolutions?

What is the importance of setting a new year’s resolution? In this essay, explore why people create new year resolutions and what a resolution aims to achieve. You can include your reasoning, interview others, or use online sources. Perhaps you can argue whether new years resolutions are helpful or not in achieving goals. Think about the resolutions you have set, and whether or not it has helped you achieve a goal. 

Different cultures and religions celebrate the new year differently, sometimes even having different dates. Write about how the new year is celebrated in different parts of the world, including dates, activities, and any local traditions. Use research to support your findings, this can be found in history books, interviews, statistical data or news articles online. 

Many think of the new year as a “rebirth” of some sort; however, it can be argued that the new year would be better used as an instrument of continuity, particularly that of the good things that happened in the previous year. You might also be interested in these essays about Christmas .

Some see new year as something to be sad about. In your essay, you can discuss the darker side of new year and write about anxiety and depression during this time, similar to Ettachfini’s essay. In your essay, include the reasons for, behaviors displayed, and possible remedies to sadness during the new year’s holidays.

Some say that it is unrealistic to make new year’s resolutions. Discuss if you believe new year’s resolutions are a waste of time or not. Create a compelling argumentative essay by stating your position and providing research, statistics, or interview data to back up your arguments.

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing ?

new year's eve essay

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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New Year's Eve, by Charles Lamb

'I am content to stand still at the age to which I am arrived'

  • An Introduction to Punctuation
  • Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
  • M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
  • B.A., English, State University of New York

An accountant in India House in London for more than 30 years and caregiver for his sister Mary (who, in a fit of mania, had stabbed their mother to death), Charles Lamb was one of the great masters of the English essay .

The most intimate of the early-19th-century essayists, Lamb relied on stylistic artifice ("whim-whams," as he referred to his antique diction and far-fetched comparisons ) and a contrived persona known as "Elia." As George L. Barnett has observed, "Lamb's egoism suggests more than Lamb's person: it awakens in the reader reflections of kindred feelings and affections" ( Charles Lamb: The Evolution of Elia , 1964).

In the essay "New Year's Eve," which first appeared in the January 1821 issue of The London Magazine , Lamb reflects wistfully on the passage of time. You may find it interesting to compare Lamb's essay with three others in our collection:

  • "At the Turn of the Year," by Fiona Macleod (William Sharp)
  • "Last Year," by Horace Smith
  • " The New Year," by George William Curtis
  • "January in the Sussex Woods," by Richard Jefferies

New Year's Eve

by Charles Lamb

1 Every man hath two birth-days: two days, at least, in every year, which set him upon revolving the lapse of time, as it affects his mortal duration. The one is that which in an especial manner he termeth his . In the gradual desuetude of old observances, this custom of solemnizing our proper birth-day hath nearly passed away, or is left to children, who reflect nothing at all about the matter, nor understand any thing in it beyond cake and orange. But the birth of a New Year is of an interest too wide to be pretermitted by king or cobbler. No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam.

2 Of all sounds of all bells--(bells, the music nighest bordering upon heaven)--most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. I never hear it without a gathering-up of my mind to a concentration of all the images that have been diffused over the past twelvemonth; all I have done or suffered, performed or neglected--in that regretted time. I begin to know its worth, as when a person dies. It takes a personal colour; nor was it a poetical flight in a contemporary, when he exclaimed

I saw the skirts of the departing Year.

It is no more than what in sober sadness every one of us seems to be conscious of, in that awful leave-taking. I am sure I felt it, and all felt it with me, last night; though some of my companions affected rather to manifest an exhilaration at the birth of the coming year, than any very tender regrets for the decease of its predecessor. But I am none of those who--

Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest.

I am naturally, beforehand, shy of novelties; new books, new faces, new years, from some mental twist which makes it difficult in me to face the prospective. I have almost ceased to hope; and am sanguine only in the prospects of other (former) years. I plunge into foregone visions and conclusions. I encounter pell-mell with past disappointments. I am armour-proof against old discouragements. I forgive, or overcome in fancy, old adversaries. I play over again for love , as the gamesters phrase it, games, for which I once paid so dear. I would scarce now have any of those untoward accidents and events of my life reversed. I would no more alter them than the incidents of some well-contrived novel. Methinks, it is better that I should have pined away seven of my goldenest years, when I was thrall to the fair hair, and fairer eyes, of Alice W----n, than that so passionate a love-adventure should be lost. It was better that our family should have missed that legacy, which old Dorrell cheated us of, than that I should have at this moment two thousand pounds in banco , and be without the idea of that specious old rogue.

3 In a degree beneath manhood, it is my infirmity to look back upon those early days. Do I advance a paradox , when I say, that, skipping over the intervention of forty years, a man may have leave to love himself , without the imputation of self-love?

4 If I know aught of myself, no one whose mind is introspective--and mine is painfully so--can have a less respect for his present identity, than I have for the man Elia. I know him to be light, and vain, and humorsome; a notorious ***; addicted to ****: averse from counsel, neither taking it, nor offering it;--*** besides; a stammering buffoon; what you will; lay it on, and spare not; I subscribe to it all, and much more, than thou canst be willing to lay at his door--but for the child Elia--that "other me," there, in the back-ground--I must take leave to cherish the remembrance of that young master--with as little reference, I protest, to this stupid changeling of five-and-forty, as if it had been a child of some other house, and not of my parents. I can cry over its patient small-pox at five, and rougher medicaments. I can lay its poor fevered head upon the sick pillow at Christ's, and wake with it in surprise at the gentle posture of maternal tenderness hanging over it, that unknown had watched its sleep. I know how it shrank from any the least colour of falsehood. God help thee, Elia, how art thou changed! Thou art sophisticated. I know how honest, how courageous (for a weakling) it was--how religious, how imaginative, how hopeful! From what have I not fallen, if the child I remember was indeed myself, and not some dissembling guardian, presenting a false identity, to give the rule to my unpractised steps, and regulate the tone of my moral being!

5 That I am fond of indulging, beyond a hope of sympathy, in such retrospection, may be the symptom of some sickly idiosyncrasy. Or is it owing to another cause; simply, that being without wife or family, I have not learned to project myself enough out of myself; and having no offspring of my own to dally with, I turn back upon memory and adopt my own early idea, as my heir and favourite? If these speculations seem fantastical to thee, reader (a busy man, perchance), if I tread out of the way of thy sympathy, and am singularly-conceited only, I retire, impenetrable to ridicule, under the phantom cloud of Elia.

6 The elders, with whom I was brought up, were of a character not likely to let slip the sacred observance of any old institution; and the ringing out of the Old Year was kept by them with circumstances of peculiar ceremony. In those days the sound of those midnight chimes, though it seemed to raise hilarity in all around me, never failed to bring a train of pensive imagery into my fancy. Yet I then scarce conceived what it meant, or thought of it as a reckoning that concerned me. Not childhood alone, but the young man till thirty, never feels practically that he is mortal. He knows it indeed, and, if need were, he could preach a homily on the fragility of life; but he brings it not home to himself, any more than in a hot June we can appropriate to our imagination the freezing days of December. But now, shall I confess a truth? I feel these audits but too powerfully. I begin to count the probabilities of my duration, and to grudge at the expenditure of moments and shortest periods, like miser's farthings. In proportion as the years both lessen and shorten, I set more count upon their periods, and would fain lay my ineffectual finger upon the spoke of the great wheel. I am not content to pass away "like a weaver's shuttle." Those  metaphors  solace me not, nor sweeten the unpalatable draught of mortality. I care not to be carried with the tide, that smoothly bears human life to eternity; and reluct at the inevitable course of destiny. I am in love with this green earth; the face of town and country; the unspeakable rural solitudes, and the sweet security of streets. I would set up my tabernacle here. I am content to stand still at the age to which I am arrived; I, and my friends: to be no younger, no richer, no handsomer. I do not want to be weaned by age; or drop, like mellow fruit, as they say, into the grave. Any alteration, on this earth of mine, in diet or in lodging, puzzles and discomposes me. My household-gods plant a terrible fixed foot, and are not rooted up without blood. They do not willingly seek Lavinian shores. A new state of being staggers me.

7  Sun, and sky, and breeze, and solitary walks, and summer holidays, and the greenness of fields, and the delicious juices of meats and fishes, and society, and the cheerful glass, and candle-light, and fire-side conversations, and innocent vanities, and jests, and  irony itself --do these things go out with life?

8  Can a ghost laugh, or shake his gaunt sides, when you are pleasant with him?

9  And you, my midnight darlings, my Folios! must I part with the intense delight of having you (huge armfuls) in my embraces? Must knowledge come to me, if it come at all, by some awkward experiment of intuition, and no longer by this familiar process of reading?

10  Shall I enjoy friendships there, wanting the smiling indications which point me to them here,--the recognisable face--the "sweet assurance of a look"--?

11  In winter this intolerable disinclination to dying--to give it its mildest name--does more especially haunt and beset me. In a genial August noon, beneath a sweltering sky, death is almost problematic. At those times do such poor snakes as myself enjoy an immortality. Then we expand and burgeon. Then are we as strong again, as valiant again, as wise again, and a great deal taller. The blast that nips and shrinks me, puts me in thoughts of death. All things allied to the insubstantial, wait upon that master feeling; cold, numbness, dreams, perplexity; moonlight itself, with its shadowy and spectral appearances,--that cold ghost of the sun, or Phoebus' sickly sister, like that innutritious one denounced in the Canticles:--I am none of her minions--I hold with the Persian.

12  Whatsoever thwarts, or puts me out of my way, brings death into my mind. All partial evils, like humours, run into that capital plague-sore. I have heard some profess an indifference to life. Such hail the end of their existence as a port of refuge; and speak of the grave as of some soft arms, in which they may slumber as on a pillow. Some have wooed death--but out upon thee, I say, thou foul, ugly phantom! I detest, abhor, execrate, and (with Friar John) give thee to six-score thousand devils, as in no instance to be excused or tolerated, but shunned as a universal viper; to be branded, proscribed, and spoken evil of! In no way can I be brought to digest thee, thou thin, melancholy  Privation , or more frightful and confounding  Positive!

13  Those antidotes, prescribed against the fear of thee, are altogether frigid and insulting, like thyself. For what satisfaction hath a man, that he shall "lie down with kings and emperors in death," who in his life-time never greatly coveted the society of such bed-fellows?--or, forsooth, that "so shall the fairest face appear?"--why, to comfort me, must Alice W----n be a goblin? More than all, I conceive disgust at those impertinent and misbecoming familiarities, inscribed upon your ordinary tombstones. Every dead man must take upon himself to be lecturing me with his odious truism, that "such as he now is, I must shortly be." Not so shortly, friend, perhaps, as thou imaginest. In the meantime I am alive. I move about. I am worth twenty of thee. Know thy betters! Thy New Years' Days are past. I survive, a jolly candidate for 1821. Another cup of wine--and while that turn-coat bell, that just now mournfully chanted the obsequies of 1820 departed, with changed notes lustily rings in a successor, let us attune to its peal the song made on a like occasion, by hearty, cheerful Mr. Cotton.--

"Hark, the cock crows, and yon bright star Tells us, the day himself's not far; And see where, breaking from the night, He gilds the western hills with light. With him old Janus doth appear, Peeping into the future year, With such a look as seems to say, The prospect is not good that way. Thus do we rise ill sights to see, And 'gainst ourselves to prophesy; When the prophetic fear of things A more tormenting mischief brings, More full of soul-tormenting gall, Than direst mischiefs can befall. But stay! but stay! methinks my sight, Better inform'd by clearer light, Discerns sereneness in that brow, That all contracted seem'd but now. His revers'd face may show distaste, And frown upon the ills are past; But that which this way looks is clear, And smiles upon the New-born Year. He looks too from a place so high, The Year lies open to his eye; And all the moments open are To the exact discoverer. Yet more and more he smiles upon The happy revolution. Why should we then suspect or fear The influences of a year, So smiles upon us the first morn, And speaks us good so soon as born? Plague on't! the last was ill enough, This cannot but make better proof; Or, at the worst, as we brush'd through The last, why so we may this too; And then the next in reason shou'd Be superexcellently good: For the worst ills (we daily see) Have no more perpetuity, Than the best fortunes that do fall; Which also bring us wherewithal Longer their being to support, Than those do of the other sort: And who has one good year in three, And yet repines at destiny, Appears ungrateful in the case, And merits not the good he has. Then let us welcome the New Guest With lusty brimmers of the best; Mirth always should Good Fortune meet, And renders e'en Disaster sweet: And though the Princess turn her back, Let us but line ourselves with sack, We better shall by far hold out, Till the next Year she face about."

14  How say you, reader--do not these verses smack of the rough magnanimity of the old English  vein? Do they not fortify like a cordial ; enlarging the heart, and productive of sweet blood, and generous spirits, in the concoction? Where be those puling fears of death, just now expressed or affected? Passed like a cloud--absorbed in the purging sunlight of clear poetry--clean washed away by a wave of genuine Helicon, your only Spa for these hypochondries--And now another cup of the generous! and a merry New Year , and many of them, to you all, my masters!

"New Year's Eve," by Charles Lamb, was first published in the January 1821 issue of  The London Magazine  and was included in  Essays of Elia , 1823 (reprinted by Pomona Press in 2006).

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Essay on New Year

New Year is not just for celebrations and resolutions, it’s a time to reflect on one’s life, including accomplishments, mistakes, and lessons learned, as well as any new opportunities one may have to improve and enrich it. Students are frequently required to write essays on a variety of topics in school. Check out some of the best samples of essay on new year to inspire your own originality and inspiration. Continue reading. 

Also Read: Essay on Christmas

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Essay on new year in 100 words, essay on new year in 200 words, essay on new year in 300 words.

One of the most exciting times of the year is the new year, which is celebrated with joy and festivity all throughout the world. People all around the world are happy because it offers them a chance to start over and build a better future for themselves. 

On January 1st, both the Julian and Gregorian calendars observe New Year’s Day. On December 31st, people begin their New Year celebrations. People belonging to different cultures have their unique ways of celebrating this event. 

During the New Year, all of the markets, shopping centres, hotels, and eateries are beautifully decorated and provide several discounts. Individuals of all ages come together to ring in the new year with fun and happiness.  The beginning of a new year is the ideal moment to start over. 

Also Read: Essay on Winter Season

Resolutions and new beginnings are common during the New Year’s season. A lot of people set goals for the new year. The excitement, fervour, new outfits, parties on New Year’s Eve, gifts, and loads of fun are all hallmarks of the holiday. On this day, people wish and congratulate their friends and family. A close-knit group cooks and savours a variety of delicacies. This day is celebrated by people worldwide with celebrations and fireworks. 

In addition, many celebrate in their places of employment and plan different get-togethers and celebrations for their staff members to add some new life to their days. The invigorating new beginning that the new year offers to everyone’s life is its best feature. Everybody has the opportunity to start over, full of optimism, and look forward to a bright future as the calendar resets. 

Children are also brimming with happiness and excitement, as well as blessings from their loved ones, new clothes, gifts, and candies. Numerous educational institutions host comprehensive growth initiatives that begin on Christmas Day and run through New Year’s Eve. People carry on the lessons they have acquired from their past failures.    

Every year on New Year’s Eve, people celebrate and remember the previous year by having a great time and exchanging gifts, decorations, and delicious food. It’s a time when people from all over the world start over. 

Gregorian New Year, which falls on January 1st, is marked by a huge party. It is also said to be the Julian calendar’s New Year’s Day. Rome’s Julius Caesar was the first to proclaim January 1st as a national holiday. 

Nowhere is as festive as in Western countries when it comes to celebrating a new year. To celebrate New Year’s Eve, they all get together. It’s a common belief that the start of a new year brings with it happiness and fresh dreams. It’s also an ideal opportunity to take stock of the lessons and experiences of the past and look forward with optimism. 

Globally, people celebrate the English Calendar’s New Year, despite the fact that other cultures follow different calendars. Every culture celebrates the new year in a unique way. In India, for instance, many Hindus celebrate the New Year around the end of March or the start of April, whereas the Chinese celebrate it around February. While the dates may fluctuate throughout countries, the spirit of New Year’s stays the same. 

People celebrate this day, regardless of where they live, what religion they practise, or what region they come from. They see it as a chance to make the most of their life and make improvements to it.

Additionally, the New Year is a great opportunity to make resolutions. Getting organised, giving up a habit, planning to start new tasks, aiming for a high score, adopting a healthy lifestyle, or anything else. On this day, many people resolve to begin a new chapter in their lives. 

Every year on December 31st and January 1st, people celebrate New Year’s Eve, which marks the start of a new calendar year. 

Julius Caesar proposed the Julian Calendar. It is believed that it was a reform of the Roman Calendar. 

On this day, people take a moment to pause, look back, and make a fresh start for the future as they consider the lessons and experiences they have had this year. 

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Essay on New Year Celebration

Students are often asked to write an essay on New Year Celebration in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on New Year Celebration

The excitement of new year.

New Year is a time filled with joy and celebration. It marks the beginning of a fresh year and is celebrated worldwide. It’s a time when people bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one with open arms.

Traditions and Customs

Different cultures have unique ways to celebrate New Year. Some light fireworks, others have grand feasts. Many people also make resolutions to improve their lives in the coming year.

The Joy of Celebration

New Year celebrations bring families and friends together. It’s a time of happiness, hope, and new beginnings. Everyone eagerly waits for the clock to strike midnight to cheer, “Happy New Year!”

250 Words Essay on New Year Celebration

Introduction to new year celebrations.

The New Year celebration is a universal event, marked by anticipation, reflection, and joy. It is a time when people bid farewell to the past and welcome the future with renewed hope and enthusiasm. The celebration is not only a cultural tradition but also a psychological milestone that allows individuals to assess their lives and set new goals.

Historical Background

Historically, New Year celebrations have roots in ancient civilizations. The Babylonians, for instance, celebrated the New Year as a religious festival. The Romans, on the other hand, celebrated it in honor of Janus, the god of beginnings. Over time, these traditions have evolved, reflecting cultural diversity and societal changes.

Celebrations Around the World

Today, New Year celebrations take various forms worldwide. In many Western cultures, it’s often marked with fireworks, parties, and the singing of ‘Auld Lang Syne.’ In contrast, Chinese New Year is characterized by the Lantern Festival, dragon dances, and the giving of red envelopes. Meanwhile, in Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is a solemn time of reflection and atonement.

Significance and Impact

The New Year celebration holds profound significance. It is a symbol of rebirth and renewal, providing an opportunity for individuals to reflect, recalibrate, and set new goals. The celebration also has a considerable socio-economic impact, driving consumerism during the holiday season and boosting various sectors, including tourism, retail, and entertainment.

In conclusion, the New Year celebration is a universal tradition that transcends cultural boundaries. It is a time of reflection, renewal, and hope, embodying the human spirit’s resilience and aspiration for a better future.

500 Words Essay on New Year Celebration

Introduction.

New Year’s Eve, the last day of the year, is universally celebrated with great enthusiasm and anticipation. It’s a day of reflection, resolution, and promise, marking the transition from the past year’s experiences to the untapped potential of the future. The celebration is a blend of cultural traditions, personal beliefs, and modern practices, making it a unique and vibrant occasion.

The History and Significance

The concept of the New Year dates back to ancient civilizations, such as the Babylonians and the Romans, who marked the beginning of the year based on lunar or solar cycles. Over time, with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, January 1st became universally recognized as the start of the New Year. The celebration is not merely a chronological change but carries deep symbolic significance. It represents renewal, rebirth, and the chance to start anew, which is often manifested in the form of New Year resolutions.

Global Celebrations

New Year celebrations vary widely across the globe, reflecting a rich tapestry of cultural traditions. In Spain, it is customary to eat twelve grapes at midnight, each symbolizing good luck for one month of the coming year. In Japan, the New Year (Shogatsu) is a time for family gatherings, visits to temples, and the tradition of ‘Hatsumode’ or the first shrine visit of the year. In contrast, in major cities like New York, Sydney, and London, spectacular firework displays light up the night sky, symbolizing the vibrant spirit of the New Year.

Modern Practices and Traditions

In the contemporary world, New Year’s Eve is often marked by social gatherings and parties. People come together to bid farewell to the past year and welcome the new one with music, dance, and merriment. The countdown to midnight is a universally shared moment, often accompanied by the popping of champagne bottles and a chorus of ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Many also engage in the practice of making New Year’s resolutions, setting personal goals for self-improvement in the coming year.

Reflection and Resolution

The New Year is also a time for introspection. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the past year’s experiences, learnings, successes, and failures. This reflection often leads to resolutions – commitments to personal growth, whether it’s picking up a new skill, improving health, or fostering better relationships. The New Year thus becomes a catalyst for change, inspiring individuals to strive for betterment.

New Year celebrations are a testament to the indomitable human spirit, our resilience, and our eternal hope for a better future. As the New Year dawns, it brings with it a sense of optimism, a chance to start afresh, and the promise of new possibilities. It is a universal celebration that transcends geographical boundaries and cultural differences, uniting us in our shared hopes and dreams for the year to come.

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By: History.com Editors

Updated: November 28, 2023 | Original: February 16, 2010

New Year's Eve celebration in Time Square, New York City.

Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia. Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year’s Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the new year and watching fireworks displays.

Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The earliest recorded festivities in honor of a new year’s arrival date back some 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. For the Babylonians, the first new moon following the vernal equinox—the day in late March with an equal amount of sunlight and darkness—heralded the start of a new year. They marked the occasion with a massive religious festival called Akitu (derived from the Sumerian word for barley, which was cut in the spring) that involved a different ritual on each of its 11 days.

In addition to the new year, Atiku celebrated the mythical victory of the Babylonian sky god Marduk over the evil sea goddess Tiamat and served an important political purpose: It was during this time that a new king was crowned or that the current ruler’s divine mandate was symbolically renewed.

Did you know? In order to realign the Roman calendar with the sun, Julius Caesar had to add 90 extra days to the year 46 B.C. when he introduced his new Julian calendar.

Throughout antiquity, civilizations around the world developed increasingly sophisticated calendars, typically pinning the first day of the year to an agricultural or astronomical event. In Egypt, for instance, the year began with the annual flooding of the Nile, which coincided with the rising of the star Sirius. The first day of the Lunar New Year , meanwhile, occurred with the second new moon after the winter solstice .

January 1 Becomes New Year’s Day

The early Roman calendar consisted of 10 months and 304 days, with each new year beginning at the vernal equinox; according to tradition, it was created by Romulus, the founder of Rome, in the eighth century B.C. A later king, Numa Pompilius, is credited with adding the months of Januarius and Februarius.

Over the centuries, the calendar fell out of sync with the sun, and in 46 B.C. Julius Caesar decided to solve the problem by consulting with the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians of his time. He introduced the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the more modern Gregorian calendar that most countries around the world use today.

As part of his reform, Caesar instituted January 1 as the first day of the year, partly to honor the month’s namesake: Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future. Romans celebrated by offering sacrifices to Janus, exchanging gifts with one another, decorating their homes with laurel branches and attending raucous parties.

In medieval Europe, Christian leaders temporarily replaced January 1 as the first of the year with days carrying more religious significance, such as December 25 (the anniversary of Jesus’ birth) and March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation); Pope Gregory XIII reestablished January 1 as New Year’s Day in 1582.

New Year’s Traditions and Celebrations Around the World

In many countries, New Year’s celebrations begin on the evening of December 31—New Year’s Eve—and continue into the early hours of January 1. Revelers often enjoy meals and snacks thought to bestow good luck for the coming year. In Spain and several other Spanish-speaking countries, people bolt down a dozen grapes-symbolizing their hopes for the months ahead-right before midnight.

In many parts of the world, traditional New Year’s dishes feature legumes, which are thought to resemble coins and herald future financial success; examples include lentils in Italy and black-eyed peas in the southern United States. Because pigs represent progress and prosperity in some cultures, pork appears on the New Year’s Eve table in Cuba, Austria, Hungary, Portugal and other countries. Ring-shaped cakes and pastries, a sign that the year has come full circle, round out the feast in the Netherlands, Mexico , Greece and elsewhere. In Sweden and Norway, meanwhile, rice pudding with an almond hidden inside is served on New Year’s Eve; it is said that whoever finds the nut can expect 12 months of good fortune.

Other customs that are common worldwide include watching fireworks and singing songs to welcome the new year, including the ever-popular “Auld Lang Syne” in many English-speaking countries. The practice of making resolutions for the new year is thought to have first caught on among the ancient Babylonians, who made promises in order to earn the favor of the gods and start the year off on the right foot. (They would reportedly vow to pay off debts and return borrowed farm equipment.)

In the United States, the most iconic New Year’s tradition is the dropping of a giant ball in New York City ’s Times Square at the stroke of midnight. Millions of people around the world watch the event, which has taken place almost every year since 1907. Over time, the ball itself has ballooned from a 700-pound iron-and-wood orb to a brightly patterned sphere 12 feet in diameter and weighing in at nearly 12,000 pounds. Various towns and cities across America have developed their own versions of the Times Square ritual, organizing public drops of items ranging from pickles (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania ) to possums (Tallapoosa, Georgia ) at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

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English Summary

Essay on New Year

Every year begins with new hopes, desires, expectations and New Year resolutions. These also give us an edge and excitement going into the New Year, a fresh start.

Therefore, it is no surprise that people want to celebrate the beginning of the New Year with joyful celebrations with their loved ones.

This is what is like the New Year celebrations. It is a modern form of festivals which has become a ritual performed by the urban areas is particular.

Closing off the week-long celebrations starting with Christmas Eve, New Year comes as the exclamation point. People of all ages and from different walks of life come together, to usher in a year of prosperity and health.

The fact that New Year is usually the last day before returning to work, people try extra hard to enjoy the festivities. Often kids are instructed to report their experiences and present the same when the school reopens after the winter holidays.

This is a time of the year to mend old broken bridges and forgive past mistakes of the passing year. It offers a new chance of gratitude and forgiveness.

It is also a widow to invite new people and experiences in our lives. People want to move away from the bad experiences or hurt of the past year and begin with a new slate.

Many people also form New Year resolutions as possible milestones to reach in the upcoming year. They want to translate their excitement and energy into new goals and outcomes and improve their efforts to become better at various things, both personally and professionally.

Often, people resolve to try new fitness regiments in order to shed those extra kilos gained due to holiday eating and drinking, much like Christmas, many people also decide to plant and decorate New Year trees in order to symbolize their hopes and aspiration for the twelve months ahead. Elements that are often added to the decorations are the mistletoe, candies, bright lights, etc.

New Year has not many fixed or uniform rituals and people from different cultures tend to innovate and enjoy in their own unique ways. Thus it allows diversity and freedom to express your joy.

People can exchange gifts, host dinner parties, wear new clothes or just spread New Year cheer and help extend the holiday spirit.

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Why Do We Count Down to the New Year?

How the doomsday clock, a german sci-fi film, and dick clark got us to ‘5-4-3-2-1’.

new year's eve essay

NYE ball drop in Times Square. Courtesy of Flickr/gigi_nyc .

by Alexis McCrossen | December 27, 2021

Few people counted down to anything until the 1960s and 1970s—and yes, that included the new year. Celebrations and midnight kisses on December 31, of course. Countdowns, no. How, then, did the countdown go from almost nonexistent to ubiquitous in the latter half of the 20th century? And why are we so drawn to them now, especially to mark one year’s end and another’s beginning?

Countdowns as we know them today serve many purposes. The New Year’s Eve countdown might be characterized as a “genesis countdown”: After time runs out, it starts over again. The wait for the new year—with its predictions, resolutions, and parties—is typically generative, optimistic, and hopeful. But there are also “apocalyptic countdowns,” in which after time runs out, disaster ensues. Today, we wonder how much time we have until the next COVID-19 variant, natural disaster, or terrorist attack. Both of these countdown types took form during the Atomic Age.

Though disaster has always been a part of American life, the threat of nuclear annihilation introduced pervasive existential fears. Notably, in 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists introduced the Doomsday Clock , which to this day provides a visual reckoning of just how close we are to apocalypse. In the years that followed, these same scientists were the ones who brought the term “count down” to the American lexicon. A 1953 San Francisco Examiner article reported on an atomic bomb test in the nearby Nevada desert: “a designated official on a loudspeaker and short-wave radio hookup announces at intervals the time remaining before the explosion. At the very end he intones ‘minus 10 seconds, minus 5 seconds and minus 4 seconds’ and so on down to the moment of the explosion.”

A few years later, Alfred Hitchcock domesticated the atomic countdown in the 1957 made-for-television movie Four O’Clock , transplanting it into the basement of a suburban home wired with explosives in the minutes and seconds before the eponymous time. The televised countdowns of the 1950s, whether real or fictional, were frightening temporal experiences, in which time was distended and stretched, and then extinguished.

But on May 5, 1961, the countdown got its first major positive association. Some 45 million Americans watching the national nightly news heard the countdown to the successful launch of America’s first manned space flight. The blast-off was followed by astronaut Alan Shepard saying, “Roger, liftoff and the clock has started.” Time did not end, as apocalyptic countdowns had threatened; instead, a new clock began.

The countdown associated with rocket launches had its origins in the Weimar Republic, where Fritz Lang’s 1929 film Woman in the Moon featured an extended countdown to a moon rocket launch. No one had ever heard of or seen anything like the launch before—or the countdown. The lavish science fiction multi-reel film had an outsized impact on Germany’s rocket scientists, who after World War II became central to the American space program. One of the advisors on the film was early space travel enthusiast Willy Ley, who later immigrated to the United States, where he worked for NASA, orchestrating its rocket launches.

With each televised rocket launch through the 1960s, the countdown accumulated more and more positive associations with the public, building up to the historic countdown and liftoff of Apollo 11, the spaceship that took a crew of three men to the moon. The elements of the genesis countdown as we know it today were etched in history on July 16, 1969, when at least 500 million people around the world tuned in to hear a loud and clear countdown give way to an exciting, daring, and transformative objective.

During the 1970s, the countdown moved beyond atomic test sites and space missions and onto radio and television shows—and away from the nihilism of a bomb blast toward the triumph of a rocket launch. “American Top 40” hit the radio waves in 1970, followed by the popular Australian music television show Countdown in 1974. By counting down to the latest greatest hit, this burgeoning genre of show slowed the rush of time and demarcated the recent past. Their terrain was not time, but rather “the top” or “the most popular,” organized sequentially and leading not to “zero” but to “number one.” Other kinds of countdown programs amplified the race against time. In the long-running British gameshow Countdown , for example, contestants try to complete number and word problems in a set amount of time. A very large analogue clock, reminiscent of the Doomsday Clock, hangs over the show’s set. In this iteration, the show’s triumphant contestants demonstrate that the race against time can be won—that is, that disaster can be averted.

The apocalyptic and the genesis countdowns eventually made way for the ultimate celebratory countdown: the one to the new year. Americans celebrated New Year’s Eve publicly in various ways beginning in the 1890s, including with the ringing of bells (mostly at churches) at midnight. The first ball dropped on the roof of One Times Square to mark the arrival of 1908, and in the 1930s and 1940s, commercial radio broadcasts heralded the arrival of the new year to rural and urban audiences alike at midnight. But the first countdown I have identified was in the late 1950s. During the last few seconds of 1957, broadcaster Ben Grauer proclaimed to a national radio audience from a perch overlooking Times Square, “’58 is on its way, 5-4-3-2-1. The ball is starting to slide down the pole, and it is the signal that ’58 is here.” He didn’t get much traction: The extant recording features a crowd making merry but definitely not counting down.

Through the 1960s, Grauer tried to introduce New Year’s Eve countdowns on television, presumably as a way to extend what was, after all, an extremely short-lived event. Still, while you can hear the crowd cheering on these broadcasts, they don’t join him in the countdown. Picking up on Grauer’s innovation, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve , which debuted to welcome 1973, featured confected countdowns that were staged on its dance party sets, and sometimes were painfully out of sync with the Times Square ball drop.

Impossible as it is to believe, my research into extant radio and television broadcasts and newspaper reports shows that it was not until seconds before the arrival of 1979 that a Times Square crowd counted down to the new year. At that moment, it was clear that countdown culture had arrived and was here to stay.

By the end of the 1980s, countdown clocks were installed in Times Square, television graphics began to show the amount of time remaining until midnight, and television hosts guided enthusiastic audiences through the count. As the year 2000 approached, though, something different happened. Millennium countdown clocks proliferated across the globe (though 2000 was not the millennium), accompanied by apocalyptic fears about the end of time, or at the very least Y2K, the much-discussed epic global computer network crash.

The first two decades of the 21st century have careened between genesis and apocalyptic countdowns; take for example, the countdown clocks to Olympic Games and the latest Climate Clock , found online (and in New York City’s Union Square) exhorting action before it is too late. Countdown clocks for every conceivable event are everywhere today, from the personalized digital “Countdown to Your Big Day” clocks that can be embedded on social media feeds before your birthday to the bus and subway countdown clocks that tell everyone when their ride will arrive. Whether personal or public, the clock’s goal is to mitigate impatience, to replace uncertainty with anticipation, and to fill empty waiting time with a quantified temporality.

Today our countdown clocks and countdowns continue to oscillate between genesis and apocalypse. As 2021 gives way to 2022, it is hard to know what we are anticipating when the clock hits midnight. And so, I suspect that some countdowns this year will be inflected with a tinge of hesitancy and doubt. Still, many of us will want to join in the hopefulness of the genesis count, as did that Times Square crowd welcoming 1979 with their triumphant “Happy New Year” cheers—rejoicing when the clock starts again.

Editor’s note: This piece has been updated to include “American Top 40,” which premiered ahead of the Australian music show Countdown .

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Writing a strong new year's eve descriptive essay.

The eve of the New Year is normally one of the most anticipated days of the year. It is the last day of the year, and in a few hours the world will be ushering in a brand new year. There is so much anticipation, so much excitement, lots of things to wish for. This is perhaps one of the busiest days of the year. Writing about this auspicious day is not supposed to be hard, because we have all been through it. We have all managed to take part in the excitement that surrounds this day at some point in life, or even every other year. Because of this reason therefore you need to make sure that you do not leave anything to chance when you are working on this task.

The following are some things that you need to make sure you take into consideration when you are writing a descriptive paper on this particular task.

You must not forget to describe some if not all of the people that are engaged in making this day a success. When writing the descriptive paper, make sure that you give them a special highlight, so that whoever is reading will be able to know who you are referring to, and also get their importance to your life or their role in your story.

There will certainly be a number of events going on in this day. There are so many people who will be working round the clock to make sure that the day goes according to plan. Ensure that you shed some light on the events that are planned for the day.

Where are you writing from? Do not get so carried away that you forget to discuss your position, the place where you are having this good experience. Describe it in as few words as possible but make sure that you leave a strong impression while you are doing the same

The importance of this day

Indeed the day of the eve of the New Year is an important one and for different reasons. Make sure that you highlight this to your readers. They need to know why all the glamor and activities are necessary, they have to understand why everyone is so excited and most importantly they should understand from your readings how magnificent this day is.

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New Year’s Traditions

By Mikaela Maria

New Year’s celebrations in the Philadelphia region have often included parties, formal wear, fireworks, and parades as part of a two-day, secular celebration from December 31 to January 1. The changing of a calendar year from one to the next has long been cause for commemoration and reflection, and the city’s diverse communities have shaped the holiday. Throughout Philadelphia’s history, New Year’s celebrations have ranged from sacred to silly and occurred throughout the year as ethnic and religious groups gathered and shined light on their own traditions.

a color trade card showing a cat wearing a starched ruffled collar and a bell around its neck. Text reads "Wishing you a Happy New Year! Wanamaker & Brown Collars and Neckwear"

When William Penn (1644-1718) founded Pennsylvania in 1681, Great Britain and her colonies were still using the Julian calendar, twelve months long but based on the solar year. Under this calendar, the New Year began on March 25, around the spring equinox. In 1751, Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar and the New Year began on January 1, 1752. Later in the year, eleven days between September 2 and September 14 were dropped in order to align completely with the Gregorian calendar. The first new year to fall in January in Philadelphia was January 1, 1752, the same day that famed Philadelphia flag maker Elizabeth “Betsy” Griscom Ross (1752-1836) was born.

During the colonial period , the New Year’s celebration was relatively quiet compared to twenty-first century parties and galas. Christmas celebrations had yet to be wholly commercialized and the extended holiday season was primarily spent attending church services, eating a meal with family, and paying visits to friends. Initially December 26, or “Second Day Christmas” as the Swedish call it, was the time to visit the homes of friends, but New Year’s Day also became a particularly popular time to call on loved ones. Neighbors often held open houses and provided punches, cakes, and good company for those who visited. Festivities included Dutch food traditions and sharing and eating New Year’s cake to bring good luck. Those of German background continued the tradition of eating pork on New Year’s into the twenty-first century, with the pig symbolizing progress with its snout pushed forward into the ground.

A black and white illustration of a large, rowdy crowd of costumed revelers in the streets of philadelphia

When Philadelphia served as the capital of the United States during the 1790s, President George Washington (1732-99) began the official tradition of visiting homes on New Year’s Day. While the president called on friends, groups of men known as mummers celebrated in their own way. The mumming tradition can be traced to ancient Rome and Greece, however its modern roots stem from a mixture of English, Scottish, German, Irish, and French traditions that culminated in the distinctly Philadelphian pasttime. Mummers, often groups of working-class men, roamed the streets singing, dancing, and performing as clowns or minstrels. The men would go door to door, in a fashion somewhat similar to modern Halloween trick-or-treating, and sang songs to receive food and drink. Some found the mummers entertaining and enjoyable, while others found them to be obnoxious drunks. By 1808, masquerading was considered a public nuisance and a punishable offense.

For Philadelphia’s Methodist population, New Year’s Eve meant holding a night of prayer and reflection inside their church, often referred to as a watch night. These watch nights trace their Methodist history to 1770, where the first Watch Night was held in St. George’s Methodist Church at 235 N. Fourth Street. Religious observances served to distract participants from the revelry outside, since the mummers continued their activities into the 1850s, when the public nuisance law was repealed.

A photograph of mummers -- men dressed in elaborate, colorful costumes -- walking down Broad Street with City Hall in the background

Mummery became popular again after the Civil War , and by 1888 the once haphazard gangs had formed organized clubs. Small parades took place in the last decade of the nineteenth century, and by 1901 the first officially sponsored Mummers Parade took place. Over the next century the Mummers Parade became a symbol of New Year’s Day in Philadelphia, often drawing a large number of participants and spectators on January 1.

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, New Year’s celebrations at the end of December have continued the spirit of merrymaking that was once frowned upon by the elite class. Philadelphia’s own Dick Clark (1929-2012), producer and host of American Bandstand , hosted the televised Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve from 1974 to 2004, and again from 2006 until his death in 2012. Held in New York City’s iconic Times Square , the event’s central focus was the countdown to midnight, accompanied by a gigantic crystal ball that “dropped” as spectators watched.

Around Greater Philadelphia in the early decades of the twenty-first century, cities and towns hosted their own countdowns and “dropped” a number of objects to welcome the new year. In 2014, Kennett Square, Chester County, dropped a steel mushroom, to signify the borough’s place as “Mushroom Capital of the World.” Annually in Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania, the drop featured roses, red and white, respectively, while Lebanon, Pennsylvania, dropped a piece of famed Lebanon bologna. North of Philadelphia, Allentown dropped a replica of the Liberty Bell , to symbolize the time the bell was stored there during the American Revolution. In Center City Philadelphia, there was no ball dropping, but revelers watched fireworks displays over the Delaware River and attended parties at Penn’s Landing as well as the Adventure Aquarium in Camden , New Jersey. Along the Jersey Shore, families gathered at many beach towns, while Cape May’s Congress Hall hosted the annual Glitter Ball and Atlantic City ’s clubs and casinos threw parties. For those who preferred to stay inside on New Year’s Eve, television broadcasts brought Philadelphia’s fireworks displays in to homes across the area, where families and friends gathered to ring in the new year together.

a color photograph of a lion dance in Chinatown showing dancers wielding large chinese lion puppets and smoke clouds from firecrackers

Ethnic and religious diversity introduced different or additional New Year’s festivities. In late September or early October, Philadelphians of Jewish faith celebrated Rosh Hashanah , which marks the transition from one year to the next, based on their traditional lunar calendar. Chinese communities worldwide celebrated their lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year , about a month after the civil calendar celebration. The Chinese New Year falls on first new moon sometime between January 21 and February 20. In Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood, a vibrant parade and celebrations marked the occasion and continued for fiften days after the new moon.

In Philadelphia’s African American communities, Kwanzaa was annually celebrated from December 26 to January 1. Created by Maulana Karenga (1941-), the secular holiday was the first specifically African American holiday and it culminated in feasts and gift giving. Although Kwanzaa ended on January 1 it was not specifically a New Year’s celebration. That title went to the ODUNDE Festival , which began in 1975 and takes its name from the word meaning “Happy New Year” in the Yoruba language of Nigeria and was held the second Sunday in June. Although based on the Yoruba Oshun Festival , the celebration encouraged cultural pride among all Africans around the world. During ODUNDE, thousands of participants and spectators gathered annually near Twenty-Third and South Streets to highlight their history and heritage as they welcomed a new year.

Whatever the month, and encompassing all traditions of diverse populations, New Year’s celebrations have offered a time for Philadelphians to reflect, revel, and focus on their plans for the year ahead.

Mikaela Maria is an editorial, research, and digital publishing assistant for The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia . She received her M.A. from Rutgers University and works as a public historian and museum professional in Philadelphia. (Author information current at time of publication.)

Copyright 2016, Rutgers University

new year's eve essay

Mummers in 1892

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Mumming was an established New Year’s tradition in Philadelphia long before the Mummers Parade was formally organized. Groups of mostly working-class men in costumes went door to door from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, entertaining residents in exchange for food, drink, or tips. The revelers could become quite rowdy and some saw them as drunken nuisances.

The practice was popular throughout northern Europe and colonial America but largely died out in the nineteenth century. It was revived in Philadelphia after the Civil War. The once loosely bound gangs began to coalesce into structured clubs during this time, but celebrations remained as raucous as they were in the early days.

This 1892 illustration shows groups of mummers in front of the old post office at Ninth and Chestnut Streets on Christmas Day. Within a decade, the groups were formally organized and the New Year’s Day Mummers Parade as it is known today was established.

new year's eve essay

Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863

Library of Congress

The start of the new year is not only cause for celebration with family and friends, but also often serves as a symbol of renewal or progress. Some local and national policy decisions have taken place on January 1 as well.

In 1788, Pennsylvania Quakers used the beginning of the New Year to make significant change and freed their slaves. Seventy-five years later, Abraham Lincoln chose New Year’s Day 1863 to execute the Emancipation Proclamation and declare “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

new year's eve essay

Wanamaker & Brown New Year's Trade Card

As New Year’s celebrations grew in popularity, local businesses began to capitalize on the holiday. This New Year’s advertisement card was distributed by Wanamaker & Brown’s Oak Hall, a menswear store located on Sixth and Market Streets. The store was founded in 1861 by John Wanamaker and his brother-in-law Nathan Brown and grew to become the largest menswear outlet in the United States.

Oak Hall introduced Americans to Wanamaker’s innovative business strategy, relying on fixed prices rather than haggling, and goods returnable for refund. Wanamaker went on to open his “Grand Depot” in a disused Pennsylvania Railroad freight depot during the 1876 Centennial Exposition, which drew visitors from across the country into the city and made Wanamaker’s department store a nationally-known institution.

new year's eve essay

City Hall New Year's Decorations, 1909

PhillyHistory.org

By the early twentieth century, New Year’s had been transformed from a quiet holiday for visiting neighbors to more public, elaborate, and exuberant celebrations. Like Christmas, it also became a reason to decorate.

This 1909 photograph shows the interior of City Hall decked out in holiday finery and ready for the new year. Today City Hall is part of one of Philadelphia’s most popular New Year’s traditions: participants in the Mummers Parade perform their routines at a judging stand in front of the building.

The parade once stretched along Broad Street from South Philadelphia to Cecil B. Moore Avenue (then Columbia Avenue) in North Philadelphia, but the route was shortened in 1967 and in the early twenty-first century the route was adjusted multiple times in an effort to make it more practical and appealing to spectators.

new year's eve essay

Mummers Parade

Visit Philadelphia

Immigrants from England, Germany, and Sweden brought the tradition of mumming–groups of folk performers roaming the streets between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day–to Philadelphia. Originally, these groups were loosely formed and traveled door-to-door, entertaining residents in return for food, drink, and money. These costumed performers began to form informal, raucous parades in the late nineteenth century and on New Year’s Day in 1901, the city of Philadelphia sponsored the first official Mummers Parade.

The colorful, energetic performances have become a Philadelphia institution, drawing tens of thousands of spectators along Broad Street between City Hall and South Philadelphia. Though popular, it is not without controversy. In the second decade of the twenty-first century, as earlier, the Mummers Parade drew criticism for its lack of diversity and questionable routines. Though blackface was officially eliminated in 1963, routines recalling the once-popular practice were performed as recently as 2013. LGBT groups have also complained of homophobic routines and costumes, including, in 2015, some lampooning transgender Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner. (Photograph by M. Edlow)

new year's eve essay

New York Fireworks Over the Delaware

Fireworks over the Delaware River ring in the new year in Philadelphia. Both Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia and Adventure Aquarium across the river in Camden, New Jersey, stage fireworks shows on New Year’s Eve.

The Camden-based show occurs early in the evening to accommodate families with children. The Penn’s Landing show begins at the stroke of midnight and is televised. In recent years, it has also been shown on large screens in several city locations.

new year's eve essay

Chinese New Year's Lion Dance

Chinese immigrants brought their own New Year’s traditions to Philadelphia’s streets. Chinese New Year falls on a date between January 21 and February 20 as determined by the Chinese lunar calendar. In Philadelphia, celebrations last for several days, highlighted by lion dances staged by the Philadelphia Suns athletic organization.

Participants of all ages bang drums and carry large Chinese lion puppets through the streets of Chinatown. Local merchants “lure” the lion puppets to their businesses and set off long streamers of firecrackers. Long dragon puppets operated by multiple people and martial arts demonstrations are also a common component of the celebrations. (Photograph by M. Edlow)

new year's eve essay

ODUNDE Festival

New Year’s festivities in Philadelphia are not restricted to the public holiday. Other celebrations held in accordance with cultural traditions include the ODUNDE Festival based on the Yoruba Oshun Festival of Nigeria. The name is derived from the Yoruba word for “Happy New Year.”

ODUNDE was organized by South Philadelphia resident Lois Fernandez after a 1972 trip to Nigeria. Fernandez imagined ODUNDE as a New Year’s and heritage celebration that the African American community could connect to the way white residents of South Philadelphia identified with the Mummers Parade, which once was notorious for its insularity and use of blackface. The first ODUNDE Festival was held in June 1975 and became a popular event drawing thousands of people from around the region.

The festivities include traditional African, Caribbean, and African American music, dance, food, and crafts. In recent years, ODUNDE has sponsored year-round classes for young people. In 2013, organizers began their Kwanzaabration event, which teaches people about Kwanzaa, an African American holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1. (Photograph by G. Widman)

new year's eve essay

Related Topics

  • Greater Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia and the World
  • Philadelphia and the Nation
  • City of Brotherly Love

Time Periods

  • Twenty-First Century
  • Twentieth Century after 1945
  • Twentieth Century to 1945
  • Nineteenth Century after 1854
  • Nineteenth Century to 1854
  • Capital of the United States Era
  • Colonial Era
  • South Philadelphia
  • Broad Street
  • Memorial Day

Related Reading

Gaster, Theodor Herzl. New Year: Its History, Customs, and Superstitions . First edition. New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1955.

Masters, Patricia Anne. The Philadelphia Mummers: Building Community through Play . Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2007.

Roberts, Russell. Holidays and Celebrations in Colonial America . Mitchell Lane Publishers, Inc., 2010.

Welch, Charles E., Jr. Oh! Dem Golden Slippers: The Story of the Philadelphia Mummers . Philadelphia: Book Street Press, 1991.

Related Places

  • Mummers Museum 1100 S. Second Street, Philadelphia.

Backgrounders

Connecting Headlines with History

  • Fireworks preparations under way for New Year's Eve (WHYY, December 30, 2011)
  • New Year's Eve out—a delight, or a drudgery? (WHYY, December 30, 2011)
  • Mummers a New Year's tradition in Philadelphia (WHYY, January 1, 2012)
  • New Year's Eve in Atlantic City (WHYY, January 1, 2013)
  • Camden New Year's Eve celebration (Photos) (WHYY, January 1, 2014)
  • New Year's Eve to come in with a bang in Philadelphia (WHYY, December 21, 2014)
  • Milder Mummers strut into 2017 (WHYY, January 1, 2017)
  • Mummers in the Winter (and Summer) (PhillyHistory Blog)
  • Lunar New Year Starts with a Bang (HiddenCity Philadelphia)
  • Waiting for the Mummers Crowds (PhillyHistory Blog)
  • Chinese New Year Fireworks & Lion Dance, 2013, Philadelphia (YouTube)

Connecting the Past with the Present, Building Community, Creating a Legacy

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How to write ten sentences about New Year’s Eve

How to write ten sentences about new year’s eve in english.

We can write ten sentences about New Year’s Eve for many reasons. 

  • Writing about New Year’s Eve.
  • Inviting people over New Year’s Eve.
  • Writing a letter to a friend.
  • Writing for family.
  • Describing New Year’s Eve.
  • What people do on New Year’s Eve?
  • Celebrating New Year’s Eve.
  • Writing about your holidays.
  • Writing an assignment or homework about New Year’s Eve.

Here are some examples on how to write ten sentences about New Year’s Eve or a paragraph in English.

New Year’s Eve in simple words

new year's eve essay

Conjunctions

  • Then, next, after that
  • And, or, because, so
  • In, on, at, above, under
  • Always, usually, often
  • First, second, finally

It is your turn now.

You can print this page at the top, or simply copy it into your word pad.

Write ten sentences about New Year’s Eve in English:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

More writing topics and short paragraphs: 

  • Write ten sentences about your job in English. Read more
  • Write ten sentences about your school in English. Read more 
  • Write ten sentences about yourself in English. Read more
  • Write ten sentences about your daily routine in English. Read more
  • Write ten sentences about your favorite food in English. Read more
  • Write ten sentences about your favorite country. Read more

You can write about any celebration or holiday in a similar way.

You can increase your writing skills level by looking at other types of writings like

  • Free writing
  • Process writing
  • Independent writing
  • Technical writing
  • Narrative writing and many other types of writing

Like some examples, Take a look at a presentation on writing skills. Read more

Get help, English essay writing with The Pensters for professional assignment. Read more

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Englit Guide 96

  • Literary-Terms
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New Year's Eve by Charles Lamb (Summary & Analysis)

New Year's Eve

by Charles Lamb

(Summary & Analysis)  

new year's eve essay

Charles Lamb (1775-1834) was an English essayist, poet, and critic. He is best known for his witty and engaging essays, which often combined personal anecdotes with literary criticism and social commentary. Lamb was born in London and spent much of his life there. He worked as a clerk at the East India Company, but his true passion lay in writing.

Lamb's essays were published under the pseudonym "Elia" and were highly regarded for their distinct style and charm. His essays covered a wide range of topics, including literature, art, philosophy, and everyday life. Lamb's writing showcased his deep knowledge of English literature and his ability to connect with readers through his wit and warmth.

In addition to his essays, Lamb also wrote poems and plays. His poetry reflected his melancholic and introspective nature, often exploring themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human emotions. Lamb's plays, on the other hand, were more lighthearted and showcased his talent for comedy.

Although Lamb achieved some recognition during his lifetime, his work gained greater appreciation and popularity in the years following his death. He has since been recognized as one of the greatest essayists in the English language, admired for his unique perspective, insightful observations, and engaging prose style.

"New Year's Eve" is an essay written by Charles Lamb, a renowned English writer and essayist, in which he reflects upon the passing of time and the significance of New Year's Eve. The essay presents a contemplative and introspective account of the author's thoughts and emotions on the eve of a new year.

Lamb begins by describing the sense of nostalgia that pervades the atmosphere on New Year's Eve. He portrays it as a time when people reflect on the events of the past year and anticipate the possibilities of the year to come. He delves into the introspective nature of the occasion, highlighting how individuals tend to evaluate their accomplishments, failures, and personal growth during this transitional period.

The author then shifts his focus to the concept of time and its fleeting nature. He expresses a profound sense of melancholy, acknowledging the inevitability of aging and the passage of time. Lamb contemplates the transitory nature of life and ponders the significance of the brief moments of happiness and joy that punctuate our existence.

Throughout the essay, Lamb weaves personal anecdotes and observations, providing glimpses into his own experiences and thoughts. He explores the theme of mortality and the impact it has on one's perspective on life. He contemplates the loss of loved ones and the memories that linger long after their departure.

In his musings, Lamb also touches upon the themes of friendship, solitude, and the importance of human connections. He emphasizes the value of companionship and the solace it brings, especially during times of reflection and transition.

Ultimately, "New Year's Eve" by Charles Lamb is a thoughtful and introspective essay that explores the emotions and reflections associated with the turning of the year. It invites readers to contemplate the passage of time, the fleeting nature of life, and the significance of personal growth and human connections.

"New Year's Eve" by Charles Lamb is a deeply introspective and contemplative essay that explores themes of time, mortality, and human connections. Lamb's analysis of the significance of New Year's Eve goes beyond the surface-level celebration and delves into the profound emotions and reflections associated with the turning of the year.

One of the central themes in the essay is the passage of time and its transitory nature. Lamb expresses a sense of melancholy and nostalgia as he contemplates the fleeting moments of happiness and joy that punctuate our lives. He acknowledges the inevitability of aging and the bittersweet reality that time brings both change and loss. Through his reflections, Lamb invites readers to confront their own mortality and consider the preciousness of each passing year.

Another key theme in the essay is the importance of personal growth and introspection. Lamb highlights the introspective nature of New Year's Eve, where individuals engage in self-evaluation and reflect upon their accomplishments and failures. He emphasizes the significance of taking stock of one's life and striving for personal improvement.

Lamb also explores the theme of human connections and the value of friendship. He recognizes the solace and companionship that relationships bring, particularly during times of reflection and transition. By discussing the loss of loved ones and the memories that endure, Lamb underscores the impact that human connections have on shaping our experiences and perspectives.

In terms of writing style, Lamb employs a mix of personal anecdotes, observations, and philosophical musings to engage the reader. His prose is rich with emotion and introspection, evoking a sense of nostalgia and contemplation. Through his storytelling, Lamb creates a relatable and poignant account of the emotions and thoughts that arise during the transition into a new year.

Overall, "New Year's Eve" is a thought-provoking essay that prompts readers to reflect on the passage of time, the brevity of life, and the significance of personal growth and human connections. Lamb's introspective exploration of these themes offers readers an opportunity to contemplate their own experiences and emotions associated with the turning of the year.

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How To Write An Essay On ‘The New Year’ For Kids

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Key Points To Note: Essay On The New Year For Lower Primary Classes

10 lines on the new year in english, short paragraph on the new year, new year essay in english for class 3 – long essay, what will your child learn from the ‘new year’ essay.

The New Year is an exciting time, full of joy and celebration worldwide! People and families get together on the last night of December to celebrate and bring in the New Year. As an essay topic, the New Year is something most children can relate to and write about. Almost all families plan a holiday or even a party, so there’s always so much that the child can think and write about. Here, we show you how to write an essay on the New Year, on both short and long-form essay styles. 

Remember these points when writing an essay on the New Year:

  • The New Year is a creative topic, so you can use plenty of ideas from your imagination to enrich the write-up.
  • One-line essays on the topic can be limited to general facts about the New Year and different ways to celebrate it.
  • A short paragraph on the New Year can focus on how you celebrate it with your family and friends.
  • A long essay on the subject can touch upon many points about the New Year without getting too detailed.

One-line essays are simple to write. When writing about this topic, stick to basic facts and write as many different things as possible. Here is how to write a 10-line essay on the New Year for classes 1 and 2:

  • January 1st is the first day of the New Year. According to the calendar, there are 12 months in a year.
  • The celebration of the New Year occurs on December 31st, which is the last day of the year.
  • On New Year’s eve, people celebrate with a lot of enthusiasm.
  • We all get together as a family on the last day of the year and wish each other well for the new year! 
  • At midnight, when January 1st begins, we enter the new year.
  • People all around the world celebrate this day with parties and fireworks.
  • Our schools have Christmas vacation, and January 1st is a holiday.
  • On New Year, people make new resolutions.
  • The New Year is a fresh beginning for all people, where they can hope for something better in the future. 
  • The New Year is my favourite time because my family goes on a short vacation every year!

A short essay is typically 100 to 150 words long. You can talk about various aspects of the New Year that you like in a short piece such as this one. Here is an example for a short essay on the New Year:

The New Year starts on January 1st of every year. It is the time to start over, make new resolutions, and look forward to a great future ahead. The New Year is a special time for all people as they feel a renewed sense of responsibility in their lives. However, the first day of the New Year always starts a bit slow for everyone as they are still tired from the party from the last day of the previous year. On the other hand, children happily look forward to the reopening of the school from the Christmas vacation. To conclude, every New Year is a step further to what can be a bright and prosperous future.

A long essay for class 3 on the topic of the New Year is an opportunity to get creative and put different ideas together. It is important to maintain a narrative to keep it coherent. Here is an example of a long essay on the New Year:

The New Year starts on January 1st of every year. However, the celebration for the New Year starts on December 31st – the last day of the year. Most people attend parties on New Year’s eve. The working people have gatherings at their workplace. Some take the evening off to attend events, while most families get together to celebrate. As the clock strikes 12 at midnight and the dials jump numbers to display a new date, people welcome the New Year with cheers and wishes. Many places also have amazing firework displays to entertain people who attend the parties.

What makes New Year special is the rejuvenating freshness it brings to everyone’s life. The calendar resets, giving everyone a year to plan their studies, jobs, and assignments. People feel like they can let go of the past and move on to a brighter future. The New Year is also a time for people to make resolutions. Whether aiming to score a distinction in the exam or exercise regularly and maintain a healthy body, the New Year is when everyone feels inspired.

Although different cultures have different calendars, the English calendar’s New Year is what is celebrated all around the world. Different cultures also have their own New Year. For example, the Chinese celebrate their New Year in February, while many Hindus in India celebrate it towards the end of March or the beginning of April. The dates may vary across different cultures, but the theme of New Year remains the same, which is renewal.

On the New Year, our family has a get-together. I get to meet my cousins and talk about the Christmas holidays and all the fun in store for the upcoming year. We buy new clothes in preparation for the day and even a big cake for the family. The cake is cut after midnight when the New Year commences.

The New Year is an opportunity for us to bring changes to our lives and make the best out of its opportunities. My goal every New Year is to concentrate more on my studies and hobbies and become better than I was before.

The New Year essay is almost always asked as an assignment or a writing activity in class when schools reopen during the first week of January. This essay is to help prepare your child to write a New Year essay on their own. They will find plenty of ideas in the essays mentioned above and examples for different types of essays.

An essay on the New Year is a topic children would enjoy writing. As essay writing is an important skill, this is the right topic to begin with. To write a great essay, you can use some of the ideas presented in the examples above and add some of your own.

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Describe a new year celebration that you still remember – IELTS Cue Card

Janice Thompson

Updated On May 10, 2022

new year's eve essay

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Describe a new year celebration that you still remember – IELTS Cue Card

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Describe a new year celebration that you still remember

You should say:

  • When was it?
  • What did you do?
  • Who was with you? 
  • And explain how you celebrated this new year.

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Sample Answer 1

For me, the New Year has always been special. I have several recollections of New Year’s Eve celebrations, but one that stands out is when I was traveling from Mumbai to Pune. After graduating from college that year, I was offered a job in Mumbai. And I didn’t have a lot of time off. As a result, I planned to travel on the day before New Year’s Eve so that I could celebrate the New Year with my loved ones.

After being gone from them for around seven to eight months, I was eager to meet everyone. So, after finishing my work, I decided to gather my belongings and left the workplace. My train was supposed to arrive at 10 p.m. However, I was informed that my trip had been postponed due to technical difficulties and would now take place the next day. I was grieved to learn about it, but I chose to travel anyhow.

Since it was 31st December, few individuals were on board that day. I knew I would be ushering in the New Year on the Mumbai platform since the train left at ten o’clock. I was depressed, but I was determined to spend the first day of the New Year with my family and friends.

Unexpectedly, I run into an old friend on the train. He, too, went through the same ordeal. As a result, we talked for hours, recalling our times together along the tour. People were yelling joyously and wishing each other as we approached. We joined some people dancing in front of the train station, danced a little, laughed, and watched fireworks. We were euphoric for an hour before heading home. It was a unique yet unforgettable New Year’s Eve event.

Sample Answer 2

A new year is one of the most memorable days of the year. Most of the day’s festivities begin from the late hours of December 31 and continue till the wee hours of January 1. Most people attend New Year parties, make new resolutions, eat good food, etc. People across all walks of life love celebrating New Year. They chew thoughts about the bygone days and welcome what lies ahead. Here, I’d like to talk about my childhood New Year celebrations, which are still vivid. I remember every activity that my little brother and I used to do, such as cutting the cake, singing, dancing, etc. It used to be a grand celebration on the last day of the year. My grandfather always organized a New year’s party in the backyard of our society, where all our friends and family would gather together to celebrate and welcome the New Year with a big bang. The place would be decorated well with lights, and everything from delicious cake to unique wines and high-end sound systems would be set up in the backyard. Everyone would gather before 11 PM at the premises, and they’d enjoy themselves until the clock struck 12. The entire place would be filled with voices of people screaming and hugging each other with happiness. It would be a wonderful sight to watch. Many other people would also make  New Year’s resolutions and dance their hearts out. Somehow, this year, owing to the pandemic, I decided to be a little more low-key, so I stayed home and enjoyed the New year’s celebration with my friends virtually.

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1. Resolutions 

  • Meaning : a firm decision to do or not to do something.  Eg : He made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking. 
  • Meaning : belonging to an earlier time. Eg : Our ancestors in the bygone days were super-rich and wealthy. 

3. Backyard

  • Meaning : a back garden  Eg : We have decided to conduct the baking workshop in the backyard. 

4. Wee hours 

  • Meaning : early hours of the morning Eg : We reached our destination in the wee hours of Saturday. 
  • Meaning : not elaborate, showy, or intensive; modest or restrained. Eg : She preferred to remain low-key.

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Janice Thompson

Janice Thompson

Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

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Charles Lamb

New Year’s Eve

Every man hath two birth-days: two days, at least, in every year, which set him upon revolving the lapse of time, as it affects his mortal duration. The one is that which in an especial manner he termeth his . In the gradual desuetude of old observances, this custom of solemnizing our proper birth-day hath nearly passed away, or is left to children, who reflect nothing at all about the matter, nor understand any thing in it beyond cake and orange. But the birth of a New Year is of an interest too wide to be pretermitted by king or cobbler. No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam.

Of all sounds of all bells—(bells, the music nighest bordering upon heaven)—most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. I never hear it without a gathering-up of my mind to a concentration of all the images that have been diffused over the past twelvemonth; all I have done or suffered, performed or neglected—in that regretted time. I begin to know its worth, as when a person dies. It takes a personal colour; nor was it a poetical flight in a contemporary, when he exclaimed

I saw the skirts of the departing Year.

It is no more than what in sober sadness every one of us seems to be conscious of, in that awful leave-taking. I am sure I felt it, and all felt it with me, last night; though some of my companions affected rather to manifest an exhilaration at the birth of the coming year, than any very tender regrets for the decease of its predecessor. But I am none of those who—

Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest.

I am naturally, beforehand, shy of novelties; new books, new faces, new years,—from some mental twist which makes it difficult in me to face the prospective. I have almost ceased to hope; and am sanguine only in the prospects of other (former) years. I plunge into foregone visions and conclusions. I encounter pell-mell with past disappointments. I am armour-proof against old discouragements. I forgive, or overcome in fancy, old adversaries. I play over again for love , as the gamesters phrase it, games, for which I once paid so dear. I would scarce now have any of those untoward accidents and events of my life reversed. I would no more alter them than the incidents of some well-contrived novel. Methinks, it is better that I should have pined away seven of my goldenest years, when I was thrall to the fair hair, and fairer eyes, of Alice W——n, than that so passionate a love-adventure should be lost. It was better that our family should have missed that legacy, which old Dorrell cheated us of, than that I should have at this moment two thousand pounds in banco , and be without the idea of that specious old rogue.

In a degree beneath manhood, it is my infirmity to look back upon those early days. Do I advance a paradox, when I say, that, skipping over the intervention of forty years, a man may have leave to love himself , without the imputation of self-love?

If I know aught of myself, no one whose mind is introspective—and mine is painfully so—can have a less respect for his present identity, than I have for the man Elia. I know him to be light, and vain, and humorsome; a notorious ***; addicted to ****: averse from counsel, neither taking it, nor offering it;—*** besides; a stammering buffoon; what you will; lay it on, and spare not; I subscribe to it all, and much more, than thou canst be willing to lay at his door—but for the child Elia—that “other me,” there, in the back-ground—I must take leave to cherish the remembrance of that young master—with as little reference, I protest, to this stupid changeling of five-and-forty, as if it had been a child of some other house, and not of my parents. I can cry over its patient small-pox at five, and rougher medicaments I can lay its poor fevered head upon the sick pillow at Christ’s and wake with it in surprise at the gentle posture of maternal tenderness hanging over it, that unknown had watched its sleep. I know how it shrank from any the least colour of falsehood.—God help thee, Elia, how art thou changed! Thou art sophisticated.—I know how honest, how courageous (for a weakling) it was—how religious, how imaginative, how hopeful! From what have I not fallen, if the child I remember was indeed myself—and not some dissembling guardian presenting a false identity, to give the rule to my unpractised steps, and regulate the tone of my moral being!

That I am fond of indulging, beyond a hope of sympathy, in such retrospection, may be the symptom of some sickly idiosyncrasy. Or is it owing to another cause; simply, that being without wife or family, I have not learned to project myself enough out of myself; and having no offspring of my own to dally with, I turn back upon memory and adopt my own early idea, as my heir and favourite? If these speculations seem fantastical to thee, reader—(a busy man, perchance), if I tread out of the way of thy sympathy, and am singularly-conceited only, I retire, impenetrable to ridicule, under the phantom cloud of Elia.

The elders, with whom I was brought up, were of a character not likely to let slip the sacred observance of any old institution; and the ringing out of the Old Year was kept by them with circumstances of peculiar ceremony.—In those days the sound of those midnight chimes, though it seemed to raise hilarity in all around me, never failed to bring a train of pensive imagery into my fancy. Yet I then scarce conceived what it meant, or thought of it as a reckoning that concerned me. Not childhood alone, but the young man till thirty, never feels practically that he is mortal. He knows it indeed, and, if need were, he could preach a homily on the fragility of life; but he brings it not home to himself, any more than in a hot June we can appropriate to our imagination the freezing days of December. But now, shall I confess a truth?—I feel these audits but too powerfully. I begin to count the probabilities of my duration, and to grudge at the expenditure of moments and shortest periods, like miser’s farthings. In proportion as the years both lessen and shorten, I set more count upon their periods, and would fain lay my ineffectual finger upon the spoke of the great wheel. I am not content to pass away “like a weaver’s shuttle.” Those metaphors solace me not, nor sweeten the unpalatable draught of mortality. I care not to be carried with the tide, that smoothly bears human life to eternity; and reluct at the inevitable course of destiny. I am in love with this green earth; the face of town and country; the unspeakable rural solitudes, and the sweet security of streets. I would set up my tabernacle here. I am content to stand still at the age to which I am arrived; I, and my friends: to be no younger, no richer, no handsomer. I do not want to be weaned by age; or drop, like mellow fruit, as they say, into the grave.—Any alteration, on this earth of mine, in diet or in lodging, puzzles and discomposes me. My household-gods plant a terrible fixed foot, and are not rooted up without blood. They do not willingly seek Lavinian shores. A new state of being staggers me. Sun, and sky, and breeze, and solitary walks, and summer holidays, and the greenness of fields, and the delicious juices of meats and fishes, and society, and the cheerful glass, and candle-light, and fire-side conversations, and innocent vanities, and jests, and irony itself —do these things go out with life?

Can a ghost laugh, or shake his gaunt sides, when you are pleasant with him?

And you, my midnight darlings, my Folios! must I part with the intense delight of having you (huge armfuls) in my embraces? Must knowledge come to me, if it come at all, by some awkward experiment of intuition, and no longer by this familiar process of reading?

Shall I enjoy friendships there, wanting the smiling indications which point me to them here,—the recognisable face—the “sweet assurance of a look”—?

In winter this intolerable disinclination to dying—to give it its mildest name—does more especially haunt and beset me. In a genial August noon, beneath a sweltering sky, death is almost problematic. At those times do such poor snakes as myself enjoy an immortality. Then we expand and burgeon. Then are we as strong again, as valiant again, as wise again, and a great deal taller. The blast that nips and shrinks me, puts me in thoughts of death. All things allied to the insubstantial, wait upon that master feeling; cold, numbness, dreams, perplexity; moonlight itself, with its shadowy and spectral appearances,—that cold ghost of the sun, or Phoebus’ sickly sister, like that innutritious one denounced in the Canticles:—I am none of her minions—I hold with the Persian.

Whatsoever thwarts, or puts me out of my way, brings death into my mind. All partial evils, like humours, run into that capital plague-sore.—I have heard some profess an indifference to life. Such hail the end of their existence as a port of refuge; and speak of the grave as of some soft arms, in which they may slumber as on a pillow. Some have wooed death—but out upon thee, I say, thou foul, ugly phantom! I detest, abhor, execrate, and (with Friar John) give thee to six-score thousand devils, as in no instance to be excused or tolerated, but shunned as a universal viper; to be branded, proscribed, and spoken evil of! In no way can I be brought to digest thee, thou thin, melancholy Privation , or more frightful and confounding Positive! ‘

Those antidotes, prescribed against the fear of thee, are altogether frigid and insulting, like thyself. For what satisfaction hath a man, that he shall “lie down with kings and emperors in death,” who in his life-time never greatly coveted the society of such bed-fellows?—or, forsooth, that “so shall the fairest face appear?”—why, to comfort me, must Alice W——n be a goblin? More than all, I conceive disgust at those impertinent and misbecoming familiarities, inscribed upon your ordinary tombstones. Every dead man must take upon himself to be lecturing me with his odious truism, that “such as he now is, I must shortly be.” Not so shortly, friend, perhaps, as thou imaginest. In the meantime I am alive. I move about. I am worth twenty of thee. Know thy betters! Thy New Years’ Days are past. I survive, a jolly candidate for 1821. Another cup of wine—and while that turn-coat bell, that just now mournfully chanted the obsequies of 1820 departed, with changed notes lustily rings in a successor, let us attune to its peal the song made on a like occasion, by hearty, cheerful Mr. Cotton.—

THE NEW YEAR

Hark, the cock crows, and yon bright star Tells us, the day himself’s not far; And see where, breaking from the night, He gilds the western hills with light. With him old Janus doth appear, Peeping into the future year, With such a look as seems to say, The prospect is not good that way. Thus do we rise ill sights to see, And ’gainst ourselves to prophesy; When the prophetic fear of things A more tormenting mischief brings, More full of soul-tormenting gall, Than direst mischiefs can befall. But stay! but stay! methinks my sight, Better inform’d by clearer light, Discerns sereneness in that brow, That all contracted seem’d but now. His revers’d face may show distaste, And frown upon the ills are past; But that which this way looks is clear, And smiles upon the New-born Year. He looks too from a place so high, The Year lies open to his eye; And all the moments open are To the exact discoverer. Yet more and more he smiles upon The happy revolution. Why should we then suspect or fear The influences of a year, So smiles upon us the first morn, And speaks us good so soon as born? Plague on’t! the last was ill enough, This cannot but make better proof; Or, at the worst, as we brush’d through The last, why so we may this too; And then the next in reason shou’d Be superexcellently good: For the worst ills (we daily see) Have no more perpetuity, Than the best fortunes that do fall; Which also bring us wherewithal Longer their being to support, Than those do of the other sort: And who has one good year in three, And yet repines at destiny, Appears ungrateful in the case, And merits not the good he has. Then let us welcome the New Guest With lusty brimmers of the best; Mirth always should Good Fortune meet, And renders e’en Disaster sweet: And though the Princess turn her back, Let us but line ourselves with sack, We better shall by far hold out, Till the next Year she face about.

How say you, reader—do not these verses smack of the rough magnanimity of the old English vein? Do they not fortify like a cordial; enlarging the heart, and productive of sweet blood, and generous spirits, in the concoction? Where be those puling fears of death, just now expressed or affected?—Passed like a cloud—absorbed in the purging sunlight of clear poetry—clean washed away by a wave of genuine Helicon, your only Spa for these hypochondries—And now another cup of the generous! and a merry New Year, and many of them, to you all, my masters!

MLA Citation

Lamb, Charles. “New Year’s Eve.” 1821. Quotidiana. Ed. Patrick Madden. 14 Dec 2007. 11 Apr 2024 <http://essays.quotidiana.org/lamb/new_years_eve/>.

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Quotidiana is an online anthology of "classical" essays, from antiquity to the early twentieth century. All essays and images are in the public domain. Commentaries are copyrighted, but may be used with proper attribution. Special thanks to the BYU College of Humanities and English Department for funding, and to Joey Franklin and Lara Burton , for tireless research assisting.

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Short Paragraph on How I Celebrated My New Year (360 Words)

new year's eve essay

Here is your short paragraph on How I Celebrated My New Year !

New Year is something that we all look forward to. It marks the beginning of a year and the end to another year.

Everybody looks forward to begin a new year with great fun and enjoyment and wish that the year ahead brings them in, all goods. I too celebrate this great day with all the blast that I can.

Two days before the New Year, we start our preparations. We clean our house, get things in order, buy crackers and get them ready and we look forward to the great day. On New Year’s Eve is when we enjoy the maximum. From morning, we kids would be busy packing up gifts and planning pranks that could be played when the clock strikes 12.00 at night.

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So much of fun is involved that we totally forget the passing time. Some years, friends and relatives stop by and we all join together to make it even more great. By evening, everybody is in full spirits and would be out. We sometimes go for partying and enjoy a great deal over there. As time passes by everybody starts getting excited.

When it is almost past 10.00 pm, the crowd enjoys and there are live telecast in the televisions to the celebration that takes place across the world. Each place would have a difference in their timings and accordingly the New Year would dawn. When it reaches almost midnight, the entire family would be out, bursting crackers, wishing each other and enjoying and welcoming the New Year. Churches would conduct midnight masses and most of the people would be attending masses to welcome a blessed and happy new year.

Once the year is welcome, the fun does not stop. In most of the countries New Year is marked as a holiday. People enjoy the entire day, taking rest and welcoming the year with all high spirits and enjoyment. Get together with friends and family makes it a lot more exciting and fun. Everybody hopes and wishes that the year ahead would give them peace, harmony, happiness and wealth, not only for them but to mankind across the globe.

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    Also Read: Essay on Winter Season. Essay on New Year in 200 Words. Resolutions and new beginnings are common during the New Year's season. A lot of people set goals for the new year. The excitement, fervour, new outfits, parties on New Year's Eve, gifts, and loads of fun are all hallmarks of the holiday.

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    Writing A Strong New Year's Eve Descriptive Essay. The eve of the New Year is normally one of the most anticipated days of the year. It is the last day of the year, and in a few hours the world will be ushering in a brand new year. There is so much anticipation, so much excitement, lots of things to wish for.

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    For Philadelphia's Methodist population, New Year's Eve meant holding a night of prayer and reflection inside their church, often referred to as a watch night. These watch nights trace their Methodist history to 1770, where the first Watch Night was held in St. George's Methodist Church at 235 N. Fourth Street.

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  14. New Year's Eve by Charles Lamb (Summary & Analysis)

    Overall, "New Year's Eve" is a thought-provoking essay that prompts readers to reflect on the passage of time, the brevity of life, and the significance of personal growth and human connections. Lamb's introspective exploration of these themes offers readers an opportunity to contemplate their own experiences and emotions associated with the ...

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  18. Describe a new year celebration that you still remember

    Sample Answer 2. A new year is one of the most memorable days of the year. Most of the day's festivities begin from the late hours of December 31 and continue till the wee hours of January 1. Most people attend New Year parties, make new resolutions, eat good food, etc. People across all walks of life love celebrating New Year.

  19. "New Year's Eve" by Charles Lamb

    Thy New Years' Days are past. I survive, a jolly candidate for 1821. Another cup of wine—and while that turn-coat bell, that just now mournfully chanted the obsequies of 1820 departed, with changed notes lustily rings in a successor, let us attune to its peal the song made on a like occasion, by hearty, cheerful Mr. Cotton.— THE NEW YEAR

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    The trees violently swayed, threatening to topple with ever shudder. The rain tore through the night, drenching everything in it's path. The dark grey sky crackled with energy, illuminating the whole forest for a fraction of a second. An almighty BOOM sounded throughout the forest, and all surrounding areas.

  21. The Importance Of New Year's Eve

    New Year's Eve is a time for the world to anticipate a brand new year with celebration and festivities. Cultures across the world have different ways of celebrating this holiday, whether it's through parties, family get-togethers, or in a more religious aspect. ... Vodka Essay In Russia 1238 Words | 3 Pages.

  22. New Year's eve : Lamb, Charles, 1775-1834

    New Year's eve by Lamb, Charles, 1775-1834. Publication date 1923 Publisher New York : W.E. Rudge Collection brigham_young_university; americana; byuspecialcollections Contributor Harold B. Lee Library Language English Volume no. 3. 15 p. ; 20 cm "Typography by Bruce Rogers." - Checklist

  23. Short Paragraph on How I Celebrated My New Year (360 Words)

    On New Year's Eve is when we enjoy the maximum. From morning, we kids would be busy packing up gifts and planning pranks that could be played when the clock strikes 12.00 at night. ADVERTISEMENTS: So much of fun is involved that we totally forget the passing time. Some years, friends and relatives stop by and we all join together to make it ...