Tension builds as the countdown begins, the crowds cheer as the clock strikes 12 Midnight: Happy New Years!

People all over celebrate this day in different ways. Some people stay up all night ringing in the new year and others choose go to bed before 9 P.M.

“I stay up till midnight watching movies,” Nick Carrera, ’05, said. “Then the rest of the night I play video games.”

New Year’s Eve is a time for gatherings and celebration, when people anticipate a fresh start and the year to come. The new year gives everyone a chance for self-improvement and reaching new challenging goals.

“This year I want to try to get good grades,” Rachel Balint, ’08, said. “I also want to try to be extra nice to my parents.”

New Years Eve is the special kind of holiday that can be celebrated different each year.

“I usually go to my friends house for New Years Eve,” Kelsey Penner, ’08, said. ” But this year I am going to a concert.”

Places like Knott’s Berry farm, Boomers and other parks have special all-night events on New Year’s Eve. Going somewhere for New Years can be a nice change from sitting in front of the T.V. and waiting for 12 A.M.

“Every year I go up to the mountains with my family,” Micaelah Aleman, ’08, said. “This year we are planning on doing the same.”

The New Year is celebrated worldwide in many different ways, but no matter how it is celebrated, the holiday will always mark a new year.

In Atlanta, Georgia, it is said that those who eat black-eyed peas and turnip greens on New Years Eve will have good luck with money in the coming year. Every pea counts as $1 and every portion of turnip greens equals $1,000.

In China, it is believed that putting paper cuttings on the window on New Year’s will drive away evil spirits and bring good luck.

These cultural traditions are just some of the many ways New Year’s Eve is celebrated. So this season remember to make the New Year special.

For more information, visit the following website: www.topics-mag.com/holidays/new years.