New Year's Day is the first day of the year. On the Modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1st. On the Julian Calendar, the January 1st corresponds to January 14th on the Gregorian calendar.

The Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year on this date. The Day is based on the movement of the moon around the Earth.

The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward. This suggests that New Year's celebrations are founded on pagan traditions. It was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year.

The history of the New Year celebrations dates back to the ancient periods. The first instance of celebrating New Year was initiated by the Babylonians, who used to celebrate the first day of their calendar with great merriment. Since then, the celebrations have come through ages and have been modified and diversified according to the tastes and customs of various places across the globe.

In most of the countries, New Year's Day is a public holiday. New Years Day is often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts. It marks the end of a period of remembrance.

People dress colorfully and indulge in fun filled activities such as singing, playing games, dancing, and attending parties. Night clubs, movie theatres, resorts, restaurants and amusement parks are filled with people of all ages.

People greet and wish each other Happy New Year. Exchanging messages, greeting cards and gifts are part and parcel of the New Year celebration.

All over the world, people welcome the day for it is one of the oldest of all holidays. Most New Year celebrations focus on family and friends.

New Year celebrations take place with great pomp and splendor and it is a time for mixing the tradition and culture with the modern ways of life. Another popular part of the celebrations is to have your food with alcohol. Red wine and white wine are very popular New Year drinks. Other alcoholic beverages are also preferred. In places like Italy and Spain, local liquor is also tasted by lots of people.

People born on New Year's Day are commonly called New Year babies. Many hospitals give out prizes to the first baby born in that hospital.

Larger cities organize live concerts which are attended by Bollywood stars and other well-known personalities. Large crowds gather to attend such shows, while some individuals prefer to celebrate with their close friends and family members.

The idea is to wave goodbye to the year gone-by and welcome the New Year in the hope that it will invite truckloads of happiness and joy in everyone's life.

A New Years Resolution is generally a goal someone sets out to accomplish in the coming year. A key element to a New Years Resolution that sets it apart from other resolutions is that it is made in anticipation of the New Year, and new beginnings.