New Year's Traditions

The Babylonians celebrated the new year by parading statues of their gods down the street and

• humiliating the king by having a high priest slap him and drag him by his ears until he cried

• bringing offerings to their king

• bringing offerings to their gods

• eating a special meal that symbolized good luck and fortune

The Romans celebrated the new year by giving offerings to the two faced god, Janus. What did Janus's two faces symbolize?

• Looking back at the old and ahead at the new at the same time

• a magical process that they believed could give them new life that was better than the old life

• Someone you couldn't trust in a bad year

• hard work and love

How did Egyptians time the celebration of their new year?

• To be near the time of the flooding of the Nile

• To be near the time that wheat harvests came in

• To be near the time that they would need to move homes

• To be near the time animals were being born

Which culture was the first to start the new year off with a "bang" of fireworks?

• Mesopotamia

• China

• Egypt

• Greece

• India

In ancient Persia, people celebrated the new year by

• electing a commoner to be "king for a day" and then dethroning him at the end of the festival

• changing kings permanently until the next year

• sacrificing an animal

• walking three times around the palace to bring good fortune to the king

It is customary to eat 12 grapes at midnight in Spain. Each one represents

• a wish

• a month of good luck

• a thousand dollars you will earn in the new year

• a new friend you will make in the new year

In Columbia, people wish for a travel-filled new year by

• Carrying a suitcase around the block

• burning a dollar for each month of the year

• tossing 12 coins in the air

• eating a special stew

In Denmark, people ring in the new year by banishing "bad spirits." They do this by

• throwing wine in their front yard

• opening a door

• throwing old plates and glasses against the door of friends' houses and jumping off chairs to leap into a good new year

• closing their holy books and reopening them

In Finland, the people predict the new year by casting molten (melted) tin into water and

• throwing it at the wall

• interpreting the shapes that form in the water

• using the water to water the lawn

• throwing it into a river

In Panama, people drive off evil spirits for a fresh start to the year by

• burning effigies (representations) of famous people

• running marathons

• walking backwards down the street to say goodbye to the old year

• having a bonfire