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New Year Traditions in the U.S.A.

(by Melanie Ranson)

On a typical year, New Many people make New Year’s resolutions. These goals usually include
Year’s Eve parties losing weight, exercising more, quitting bad habits, saving money
occur on the evening of and perhaps making better grades. According to a Journal of Clinical
December 31st. Friends Psychology study, 54% of people who make resolutions fail to keep them.
enjoy ringing in the new However, only 4% of people will achieve their goal if they don’t document
year by socializing and a resolution. Therefore, make the lists and give it a go for 2021!
watching the iconic ball
drop on television. The
Times Square Ball is
located in New York City.
It is made of beautiful
lights and crystal. The
ball travels down a pole
beginning at 11:59 and
at midnight touches

down to signify the
beginning of a new
year. While the tradition will continue on December 31, 2020, there will
be no big crowds gathered to watch in person due to Covid-19. Our usual
gatherings will not happen due to the virus. Yet, some traditions remain.

On New Year’s Day in
Virginia, we eat black-
eyed peas for good
luck. The tradition
supposedly started
due to events of the
Civil War which ended
here in Appomattox

in 1865. According to
folklore, the northern
army took the foodsupplies in the south but left the black-eyed peas
because they thought this was animal food. The southerners were
therefore lucky to have the black-eyed peas as food to get them through
the cold winter. As we reflect on the events of 2020, perhaps we did not
eat enough black-eyed peas last year on January 1st!

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