New Year's Eve Trivia

As you wait for the clock to strike midnight, create your own version of trivial pursuit with questions about the history and celebration of New Year's Eve. Playing holiday party games are a great way to break the ice and get the ball rolling on your fun-filled night!

Q: The New Year has not always been celebrated on January 1. When did the original celebration take place?
A: Starting around the year 2000 B.C., the Babylonians observed the beginning of spring as the start of a new year.

Q: Who established January 1 as the start of a New Year?
A: Julius Caesar, who did so when he created the Juliun calendar

Q: What does the traditional New Year's song, Auld Lang Syne, mean?
A: Auld Lang Syne, written by Robert Burns in the 1700s, is Scottish for "old long ago."

Q: Who established the tradition of setting New Year's resolutions?
A: The Babylonians, whose most common resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

Q: What is the most popular New Year's resolution in the United States today?
A: To lose weight

Q: Which city hosts the first major New Year's Eve celebration each year?
A: Sydney, Australia

Q: What year did the first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square?
A: 1907

Q: Since its inaugural descent in 1907, the New Year's Eve Ball has dropped every year except two. Which two years did the ball not drop?
A: 1942 and 1943, due to wartime restrictions in New York City

Q. How many New Year's Eve balls have dropped in Times Square?
A. 8 - 1907; 1920; 1955; 1980; 1988; 1995; 2000; 2008