More Than 360 Million Glasses Of Sparkling Wine Will Be Drunk NYE (+36 Fun Facts)

Every year on December 31st, people around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve, the last day of the year. It’s a day to say “goodbye” to the old and “hello” to the new.

• Also known as Old Year’s Day or Saint Sylvester’s Day, New Year’s Eve is one of the most exciting holidays of the year.
• In some countries, such as the Philippines and Latvia, New Year’s Eve is a public holiday. In Japan, it’s a government holiday. In other countries, many businesses let their employees off of work early so that they can partake in the many festivities.
• New Year’s is also a time to forgive past mistakes and form new habits. Many people make New Year’s resolutions. Although, only 8% of people actually accomplish them. Instead of making resolutions that you’re not going to keep anyway, it’s better to set three or four goals.
• In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, it is a tradition to eat 12 grapes during the countdown to midnight, symbolizing hopes for the new year. Around the world, eating anything in the form of a circle or ring symbolizes coming full circle and is considered good luck.
• The first New Year’s celebrations were thought to be held in ancient Mesopotamia. Because of the calendar at the time, these celebrations took place in March. Ringing in the New Year consisted of an 11-day festival.
• When the calendar switched from the lunar year to the solar year, the New Year began in January. This occurred in 46. B.C., when an astronomer convinced Julius Caesar to follow the solar year
• $1.1 Billion – Estimated cost of New Year’s air travel, with at least 6.7 million people expected to pay an average of $165 for a round-trip ticket.
• 8 in 10 Americans – Spend less than $200 on New Year’s Eve.
• 45% of Americans plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve with family, and only 15% will attend public events or parties.
• $758 – Difference in the cost for a couple to enjoy dinner and a show on New Year’s Eve in the most expensive (New York) and least expensive (Philadelphia) cities.
• 360+ Million – Glasses of sparkling wine are drunk each New Year’s Eve.
• 17.1% of emergency room visits on New Year’s Eve are drug/alcohol related (most of any holiday).
• 49,900 – People get hurt in car crashes each New Year’s Eve Holiday.
• 0.094% – Average BAC on New Year’s Eve, making it the most drunken night of the year.
• 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February, with 22% of Americans admitting that their 2019 resolutions were the same as their 2018 goals.
• Baby New Year has been a symbol of the holiday since around 600 B.C., starting in ancient Greece when an infant was paraded around in a basket in celebration of Dionysus, the god of fertility (and wine). The baby represents a rebirth that occurs at the start of each new year.
• The guy credited with Auld Lang Syne didn’t fully write it.  Robert Burns took a Scottish folk song called “Old Long Syne” and put his own spin on it in 1788, which is the version we all know today. Auld lang syne means “times long past.”
• Long before it was used on New Year’s Eve, a ball on top of England’s Royal Observatory in Greenwich was dropped at 1 p.m. every day (starting in 1833) to help ship captains coordinate their navigation equipment. Similar balls were set up in coastal areas around the world. 
• The annual tradition of gathering in Times Square for New Year’s started as a party to celebrate the opening of the New York Times building in 1904. Over 200,000 people attended.
• Though the parties raged on, there wasn’t a ball drop until 1907.  Fireworks were previously used to welcome the new year, but they were banned because burning embers were falling on the crowd. A ball being lowered on a flagpole was a safer bet.
• The Ball is a geodesic sphere, 12 feet in diameter, and weighs 11,875 pounds.
• The Ball is covered with a total of 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles that vary in size, and range in length from 4 ¾ inches to 5 ¾ inches per side.
• For Times Square 2020:
  • 192 Waterford Crystal triangles introduce the new Gift of Goodwill design of three pineapples signifying the traditional image of hospitality and goodwill.
  • 192 are the Gift of Harmony design of small rosette cuts flowing into each other in beautiful harmony.
  • 192 are the Gift of Serenity design of butterflies flying peacefully above a crystal meadow capturing the spirit of serenity.
  • 192 are the Gift of Kindness design consisting of a circle of rosettes symbolizing unity with the fronds reaching out in an expression of kindness.
  • 192 are the Gift Of Wonder design composed by a faceted starburst inspiring our sense of wonder.
  • 192 are the Gift of Fortitude design of diamond cuts on either side of a crystal pillar to represent the inner attributes of resolve, courage and spirit necessary to triumph over adversity.
  • The remaining 1,728 triangles are the Gift of imagination design with a series of intricate wedge cuts that are mirrored reflections of each other inspiring our imagination.
• 2,000 pounds of confetti are also dropped in Times Square.  Confetti may not be a new concept, but in 2015 “wishfetti” became a part of the tradition. People write their wishes for the new year and submit them to the Wish Wall in Times Square (or online) and those wishes are turned into the confetti that falls over the crowd at midnight.
• Americans drink around 360 million glasses of sparkling wine on New Year’s.
• Although things got a little friskier back then, ancient Romans are credited with the kissing tradition because of their Saturnalia festival. It was a celebration honoring Saturn, the god of time, where all social norms went out the window. 
• If you live in Italy, wearing red underwear is considered lucky.  Wearing red underwear on New Year’s will supposedly bring good fortune in the coming year. It’s also considered the color of fertility so for those hoping to conceive, it’s considered double lucky.
• You can thank a pope for making our new year start on January 1.  The Gregorian calendar was introduced in October of 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a revised version of the Julian calendar. It took almost 350 years for the world to get on board. Turkey didn’t make the switch until 1927. 
• A song that takes 1000 years to play launched on January 1, 2000.  Composer Jem Finer wrote the piece called “Longplayer,” which can be heard at London’s Trinity Buoy Wharf (or over this live stream). It’s being performed by singing bowls and is set to start all over again immediately after it finishes in 2999.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Wallet Hub

Good Housekeeping

Times Square NYC