Celebrate 2021 With This Fun New Year's Trivia
Believe it or not, 2020 is almost over. As the final days tick by, it's time to start thinking about how you're going to ring in 2021. Celebrating the New Year might look a little different than usual, but there are still so many ways to make it a special occasion.
Instead of having a big night out, you can spend a fun evening at home with loved ones. (And a pair of your coziest pajamas.) But just because you're trading in your high heels for slippers doesn't mean New Year's Eve has to be boring. After you've watched a few of your favorite movies, whipped up some delicious cocktails, and eaten plenty of appetizers, there's only one thing left to do: Test your knowledge about the holiday with New Year trivia.
How many facts about the history of New Year's Eve can you get right? Can you nail all the questions about the Times Square Ball? Do you know how people celebrate New Year's Day around the world? Scroll down and find out!
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True or False: The first New Year's Eve Ball was dropped in Times Square in 1905. False. People began celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square as early as 1904, but the Ball made its first-ever descent from the flagpole atop One Times Square in 1907.
True or False: 40% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. False. About 80% of resolutions reportedly fail by February.
True or False: The traditional New Year's song "Auld Lang Syne" began as a poem written by John Keats. False. "Auld Lang Syne" was originally a poem written by Robert Burns.
True or False: The Times Square Ball weighs 11,875 pounds. True. The Ball is 12 feet in diameter, covered in Waterford crystals and weighs 11,875 pounds.
True or False: The symbol of "Baby New Year" can be traced back to an ancient Roman tradition. False. The Baby New Year symbol evolved out of the Greek tradition of escorting a baby throughout their villages to honor the Greek God Dionysus.
True or False: More than one billion people watch the Times Square Ball-drop ceremony each year. True. A worldwide audience of more than one billion people watch the Times Square Ball-drop ceremony, both in-person and on TV.
True or False: The tradition of eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is believed to help restore world peace. False. Eating Hoppin' John is believed to bring prosperity and good luck.
True or False: Ancient Persians used to give the gift of eggs on New Year's. True. It symbolized productiveness.
The concept of a ball "dropping" to signal the passage of time dates back long before New Year's Eve was celebrated in Times Square. True. The first known "time-ball" was built in 1833 atop England's Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
True or False: The most popular New Year's resolution for 2020 was exercising more. True. According to a survey by YouGov, most Americans pledged to exercise more in the new year.
True or False: Wassail is a warm, cider-like punch with early English origins that used to be a popular New Year’s Eve drink. True. Traditional wassail is a mix of cider, ale, and mead brewed with spices and apples.
True or False: Kissing at midnight is a modern tradition. False. According to the Washington Post, smooching someone to celebrate the new year is a tradition borrowed from English and German folklore.
True or False: More than 2,000 pounds of confetti is typically dropped in Times Square to bring in the new year. True. (That's a lot of cleanup!)
True or False: In some parts of the world, people eat exactly 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. True. It's tradition in Spain to eat one grape for each month of the new year to bring good luck.
True or False: Cracking open a peppermint pig during the holiday season is believed to bring good fortune in the new year. True. This is a common practice done with family and friends in upstate New York.
