Do you know the customs of the past and the current New Year?

BY A STAFF REPORTER: For thousands of years there have been various celebrations to mark the beginning of a new year. The New Year was welcomed with much ceremony in the past and even today the New Year is ushered in with great fanfare. Let's know some previous information.

Oldest celebration: The first New Year was celebrated around 4,000 years ago in the ancient Mesopotamia city of Babylon. The Babylonians celebrated them on the first new moon after the vernal equinox and called the festival Akitu. Barley was harvested in Mesopotamia in the spring and the celebration lasted 11 days during Akitu. Each had a different ritual. The Babylonians carried the idols of their gods through the streets of the city. Thus the Babylonians believed that their world was ready for the arrival of a new year and a new spring.

Modern Celebrations: Fireworks are displayed around the world as clocks strike midnight on December 31. In recent years, Sydney, Australia has been the first of these celebrations. This demonstration takes place in Sydney Harbour.