New Year’s Eve 2024 Google Doodle marks arrival of new year 2025 with striking doodle

Celebrated on December 31, New Year’s Eve marks the final day of the year and the transition into the new one. The day is filled with self-reflection and celebration as people bid farewell to the old year. Though celebrations and festivities vary by culture common themes include gatherings with family and friends, special meals, fireworks, and bonfires.

The celebration of the new year dates back to ancient Babylonians who were among the first to mark the beginning of a new year, celebrating it during the vernal equinox (around March 20 or 21). However, the Gregorian calendar we use today sets the new year on January 1.

In Ancient Rome, New Year’s Day was originally observed on March 1. It wasn’t until 46 BCE when Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, that January 1 became the official start of the year. The Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, replaced the Julian calendar and established January 1 as the official beginning of the new year in much of the West. Over time, the celebration of New Year’s Eve became a global event.