New Years eve has been celebrated for over 4,000 years. It started with the Babylonians and was in spring. They thought that spring was the season of rebirth. They thought that January 1st had no astronomical significance. Their new year lasted 11 days. And each day was a different type of celebration.

The Romans, on the other hand used sunlight to figure out the calendar, and, in 153 BC, made January 1 to be the New Year. The Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. Even in the Middle Ages, The Church was opposed to New Years, even though the Western Countries had celebrated it for the last 400 years.

Text and html: Alex M., Background: Cullen M., Banner & Flash: Matt B., Julian Middle School

Bibliography: Personal Knowledge. Alex M. 13 Feb 2006