On January 1st, most Americans celebrate the beginning of the new year. The celebration of the new year may be the oldest holiday in the world. We know that the new year was celebrated as long as 4,000 years ago.

Not everybody celebrates the new year on January 1st, however. A long time ago, people celebrated the new year on the first day of spring. Around 2,000 years ago, the Romans decided to make January 1st the beginning of the year, and now most countries celebrate the new year on that date.

For many people around the world, new year's day is a religious holiday. Different religions may celebrate the new year on different days, and they have many different ways of celebrating.

There are many new year's day customs. Some people in the United States will join their families for a new year's day feast with foods like pork and black-eyed peas. Sometimes the cook will drop a dime into the pot of black-eyed peas, and whoever gets the dime on their plate is supposed to have good luck for the whole year!

Another custom is to make new year's resolutions. A resolution is a promise to yourself to improve your life or do something better. Some common new year's resolutions are things like getting more exercise and making better grades in school.

Many people like to celebrate new year's eve with their families and friends. New year's eve is the last day of the old year. They will stay up until midnight, when new year's eve becomes new year's day. At midnight, people who speak English often sing a song called Auld Lang Syne, which is a song about remembering the past.