New Year's Eve Trivia Questions

This Southern US tradition dates back to the Civil War. Black-eyed peas were seen as lucky livestock feed, and their coin-like appearance symbolizes future prosperity.

New Year's Day on January 1 was already widely observed. Congress never passed such an act—the date comes from the Gregorian calendar, not federal law.

Robert Burns wrote the lyrics in 1788 based on a folk song, but the melody we know today was a slower arrangement. Its original tempo was much more upbeat.

Ancient Babylonians celebrated the new year during the spring equinox in March with a festival called Akitu. January 1 became standard only with the Roman calendar.

The Rose Parade draws around 30-40 million TV viewers, while the Times Square ball drop typically attracts about 20-25 million. Many Americans prefer a daytime tradition over staying up late.

Kissing at midnight likely started with early 20th-century American and European social customs, not medieval England. No direct link to fertility rituals exists in historical records.

The first ball drop in 1907 was made of iron and wood, lit by 100 bulbs, but it wasn't wooden—it weighed 700 pounds and was designed by a metalworker.

Several states, like Indiana and parts of Texas, have blue laws restricting alcohol sales on Sundays. If New Year's Eve is a Sunday, those laws still apply.