2014 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com November 26, 2014 45
And too, the New Year can mean a lot of
different things to people. The turn of the
calendar year can be a time to let go of the
past and start fresh. Commonly, people
use the New Year to fulfill a resolution like
losing weight, saving money, going on a
trip, or changing their eating habits.
The first day of the New Year, January 1st
was actually instituted by Julius Caesar.
He did this to honor Janus, the Roman god
of beginnings, who allowed a look back
into the past and forward into the future.
The Romans celebrated the New Year by
exchanging gifts, decorating their homes
and attending parties. These traditions
are not too far off from how we celebrate
today.
For a period during medieval times in
Europe, Christian leaders temporarily
replaced January 1 as the first of the
year with days carrying more religious
significance, such as December 25 (the
anniversary of Jesus’ birth) and March 25
(the Feast of the Annunciation). It was
with Pope Gregory XIII that January 1st
was reestablished as New Year’s Day in
1582. (history.com/topics/holidays/new-
years)
Continued
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The Holiday’s today draw families together
and when families are together, food
becomes a focus.
According to epicurious.com, there are
lucky foods for the New Year. So the
opportunity presents itself, why not enjoy
food you love and hopefully increase your
fortune? What would you have to lose?
Here are some foods and an explanation of
why they might be lucky:
The
first
is grapes. People partaking in
New Year’s in Spain will eat twelve grapes
at midnight, one for each stroke of the
clock.
