HI ! SAMEER HERE ! HAPPY NEW YEAR ! GOD BLESS U !!! WISHES WITH INFORMATION !

[Guest guest]

e w Y e a r 2 0 0 6"

src="http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/1569/happynewyear2py.gif" width="450"

border="0"> 1 year of happiness,12 months of prosperity,52 weeks of

success,365 days of good luck,8760 hours of gladness ,5,25,600 mins of

goodness,Every second of enjoyment.HAPPY NEW YEAR H ours of happy times with

friends and family A bundant time for relaxation P rosperityP lenty of love

when you need it the mostY outhful excitement at lifes simple pleasuresN ights

of restful slumber (you know - dont' worry be happy)E verything you needW

ishing you love and lightY ears and years of good healthE njoyment and mirthA

angels to watch over youR embrances of a happy years! Happiness deep down

within.Serenity with each sunrise.Success in each facet of your life.Family

beside you.Close and caring friends.Health, inside you.Love that never

ends.Special memories of all the yesterdays.A bright today with much to be

thankful for.A path that leads to beautiful tomorrows.Dreams that do their best

to come true.Appreciation of all the wonderful things about you.I look to the

new year and my wish for you;Peace within your heartLove from family and

friendsFaith to guide your wayHope to to make it through each daySunshine to

light the dayHeavenly Stars to wish uponRainbows to to let you know there is a

tomorrowA tear to show compassionA heart to hold the loveBut most of all I wish

for youto feel my hand in yours,To know I am here if you stumble or fall.To

bring you cheer, to bring you love,to return the love you always share with me.

New Year Traditions around the world How it all started out...The day

celebrated as New Year in the modern world was not always on January 1st.

The holiday for the celebration of the New Year is among the oldest of all

holidays in the world. It was first observed in ancient Babylon, about 4000

years ago. In the years around 2000 B.C, the Babylonian New Year began with the

first New Moon (actually the first visible crescent) after the vernal equinox or

the first day of spring

since it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops and of blossoming. Even

today, most communities celebrates two new years, one that of English, the other

pertaining to their own. The Romans continued to observe the new year in late

March, but various emperors continually tampered with their calendar so that the

calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun. In order to set the

calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 B.C, declared January 1 to be the

beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until

Julius Caesar, in 46 B.C, established the Julian calendar. It again established

Jan1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronies the calendar with sun, Caesar

had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days!!! Although in the first

centuries of A.D the Romans continued celebrating the New Year, the early

Catholic Church condemned as paganism. But as Christianity became more

widespread the early Church began having it's own religious observances

concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Years' Day was no

different. New Year's Day is still observed as the Feast of Christ's

Circumcision by some denomination. During the middle ages, the Church remained

opposed to

celebrating New year.January1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western

nations for only about the past 400 years or so. Traditions like making of New

Year's Resolutions also date back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern

resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking but the

most popular resolution in early Babylonia was to return borrowed farm

equipment!In most countries that follow the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day

is a public holiday (countries like the US, UK, and Canada) Israel and India

are an exception. In New York City the world famous Waterford crystal ball

located high above Times Square is lowered starting at 11:59:00 PM and reaches

the bottom of its lower t the stroke of midnight(12:00:00 AM) on January 1.

Other Ball Drops take place in Copacabana Beach in Rio De Janeiro and Sydney

Harbor and at the Vienna New Year Concert, in Austria. This day is also the

occasion of making bonfires of discarded Christmas trees in some countries. In

Scotland, there are many special customs associated with the New Year. The

Scottish name for the New Year celebration is Hogmanay. In US the New Year is

associated with the image of an old Father Time with a sash leaving proclaiming

the Old Year as an infant enters with a New Year sash. New Years Eve is a

separate observance from New year's Day. In 20th century Western practice, the

celebration involves partying until the wee hours of the morning drinking

champagne and making merry with loved ones. New Year's Eve is a public non

working holiday in US, UK, Australia, Spain, Hong Kong, Argentina, Germany,

Philippines and Venezuela. Sydney is a crowd puller in New Year's Eve

celebration of over 1.2 million people! Over 80.000 fireworks are traditionally

set off from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and four other firing points covering 6 km

along Sydney Harbor. The event attracts an average of 30,000 international

tourists each year. In Hong Kong people usually gather in Central, Causeway

Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui harbour front and to count down the New Year at spots

like the Times Square and Ocean Terminal.The Big Ben in London is the key to

the New Year Celebrations. Around 100,000 spectators gather around Honmanay

Street party in Edinburgh, with fireworks being set off from the

castle and other major hills around the city. London Eye is also among other

famous places that displays spectacular fireworks.The moment of midnight is

marked by the sound of Big Ben in UK ; The traditional song, Auld Lang Syne

sung in first moments of the New Year , after the final stroke of the of the

bell ;The dropping of the "ball" on top of One Times Square in New York City,

being broadcast world wide ; The launching of fireworks in Seattle towards the

space needle until it reaches the top at midnight does the countdown. In Spain

a centenary clock is lowered starting at 23:59:48 at 'La Puerto del Sol' while

a grape is eaten for each second left to the New Year...,as several hundred

thousand people party, the New year arrives with new hopes of peace love and

prosperity on our way... The Chinese New Year is a lunar holiday that

begins with the arrival of the second new moon following the winter solstice. It

usually starts between mid-January and mid-February, (date varies) and lasts for

fifteen days. As the New Year approaches, people clean their home to escape bad

luck in the upcoming year. Families gather for a feast on New Year's Eve, and

stay up late, believing that it will prolong the lives of their elders. The

Chinese people believe that evil spirits come around at New Year, so they let

off firecrackers to frighten them away. People often seal their windows and

doors with paper to

keep the evil spirits out, as well. On New Year's Day, people dress in their

best clothes and present one another with small gifts. Chinese people all over

the world celebrate the first full moon with a colorful street procession,

called the Festival of Lanterns. People fill the streets carrying lanterns and

join a great parade led by an enormous dragon. The Festival of Lanterns is

believed to light the way for the New Year. In Korea the first day of the

lunar new year is called Sol-nal. This is for families to renew ties and

prepare for the new year. New Year's Eve: People place straw scoopers, rakes or

sieves on their doors and walls to protect their families from evil spirit sin

the new year. Everyone dresses in new clothes, the following morning,

symbolizing a fresh beginning, and gathers at the home of the eldest male

family member.

Ancestral memorial rites are held, then the younger generation bows to elders

in the family. They wish them good health and prosperity in the coming year. The

elders often then give newly minted money or gifts afterwards. New Year's Day

food includes: a bowl of rice cake soup ttokkuk. Koreans believe eating this

soup will add and extra year of age to your life. Korean age is actually

calculated at the New Year. Everyone becomes a year older on New Year's Day!

Favorite games: yut nori, a stick game, and see-sawing on large see-saws setup

in the courtyard or in parks. Celebration of the Japanese New Year (

Oshogatsu ) occurs on January 1, as with Western nations. However, the Japanese

people also observe some beliefs from

their religion, called Shinto. For happiness and good luck, Japanese people hang

a rope of straw across the front of their homes. They believe it keeps the evil

spirits away. Japanese people begin to laugh the moment the New Year begins, so

they will have good luck the whole year. The Thai New Year festival is called

Songkran and lasts for three days from 13 to 15 April according the gregorian

calendar. The customs are many such as people throw water over one another,

under the guise of that it will bring good rains in the coming year and all the

Buddha statues or images are washed. They visit the monastery to pray and offer

gifts of rice, fruit, sweets and other foods for the monks. Another custom to

bring good luck, was to release birds from their cages or fish from their

bowls. They carry a fish bowl to the

river to release their fish all at the same time as one another. They might also

play the game known as Saba which is a game rather like skittles. The

Vietnamese New Year is called Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet for short. The exact date

changes from year to year, but it usually falls between January 21 and February

19. A common Vietnamese belief is that the first person to enter a house at New

Year will bring either good or bad luck. The Vietnamese also believe that there

is a god in every home who travels to heaven at the New Year. In heaven, this

god will reveal how good or bad each member of the family has been in the past

year. Thus, the New Year is a time to reflect on the past and improve in the

future. A traditional Vietnamese belief is that the god travels to heaven on

the back of a fish, called a carp. Even today some people will buy a live carp,

and then free it in a river or

pond. The people of Cambodia use the Indian Calendar to calculate the start of

the New Year festival. The festival starts on the 12, 13 or 14 April according

to the gregorian calendar and lasts for three days. People clean and decorate

their houses, as well as set up an altar to welcome the New Year Spirit Tevada

Chhnam Thmey who is said to come down to earth at this time. A statue of the

Buudha is put on the altar, also flowers, candles, incense, a bowl of scented

water, food and drink, and banana leaves shaped into different figures. Day one

of the festival people visit their local monastery and offer food to the monks.

A special sand mound is built in the grounds of the monasteries on this day.

The mound is decorated with five religious flags, one on top of the mound and

four around the sides. Special games such as the Tug-Of-War, Angkunh and Boh

Choong are played at the monasteries on

each day of the festival. Day two people gather with their families to wish each

other a happy New Year and exchange gifts. They might also visit the monastery

again to ask the monks to say a special prayer for their ancestors. Day three

the Buddha statues of their homes and the monasteries are washed. It is said

this ensures good rains during the coming year. Children wash the feet of their

parents as sign of respect on this day as well. Celebration of the Hindu New

Year varies based on geographic location. Most Hindus live in India, but many

have different traditions. For example, the Hindus of Gujarat, in western

India, celebrate the New Year at the end of October, at the same time as the

Indian festival of Diwali. For the Diwali celebration, small oil lights are lit

all along the rooftops. In northern India, people wear flowers to celebrate the

New Year, commonly in pink, red, purple, or

white hues. Hindus in central India display orange flags, flying them from the

top of buildings. In southern India, mothers put food, flowers, and small gifts

on a special tray. On New Year's morning, children must keep their eyes shut

until they have been led to the tray. The Jewish New Year is called Rosh

Hashanah, and falls in the seventh month, or Tishri, of the Jewish calendar

(September - October). Rosh Hashanah is a holy time when people reflect on the

things they have done wrong in the past, so they can improve in the future.

Celebration of the New Year begins at sunset the day before, and religious

services are held at synagogues in observation. An instrument called a Shofar,

made from a ram's horn, is traditionally played and children are given new

clothes to celebrate the New Year. In addition, New Year loaves are baked and

fruit is eaten to remind people of harvest

time. The Muslim New Year falls eleven days earlier than the previous year

because the Muslim calendar is based on the movements of the moon. In Iran,

people celebrate the New Year in March. As the New Year approaches, Muslims set

grains of wheat or barley in small dishes and sprinkle them with water. When the

New Year arrives, the growth of the sprouted grains reminds people of spring and

a new year of life. The Bahai people have their own calendar consisting of

nineteen months of nineteen days plus a couple of extra days between the

eighteenth and nineteenth months. They have however adopted the Iranian custom

of beginning the New Year in the spring equinox. The day begins at sunset

rather than midnight, and the New Year celebrations are held during the evening

of March

20th. In Egypt the New Year is a public holiday and has a very festive

atmosphere. Although they know in advance when the New Year begins they still

observe the custom of the new crescent moon must be seen before the official

announcement is made. The sighting is carried out at the Muhammad Ali mosque

which is at the top of the hill in Cairo. The message is then passed on to the

religious leader known as the Grand Mufti and he proclaims the New Year. The

men who have been waiting outside the mosque wish each other a happy New Year

by saying "Kol Sana We Enta Tayeb!" and then go home to tell their families.

Then all families sit down for a special New Year dinner. On this day even the

poorest of family serves some meat. No alcohol is served because Muslims do not

drink. US traditions like the Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to

1886.The tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year began in Greece

around 600 B.C.It was the tradition at that time to celebrate their God of

wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth

of that God as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a

symbol of rebirth.However, Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the

popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the church to revaluate

it's position. The Church finally allowed it's members to celebrate the New

Year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus. The

Germans brought the use of the image of a baby with a New year's Banner as a

symbolic representation of the New Year to early America. They had used the

effigy since the 14th

century.Traditionally it was believed that, what they did or ate on the 1st day

of the year could affect their luck throughout the coming year. For that

reason, celebrating the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of

family and friends became more popular. Parties often last into the middle of

the night after the ringing in of a New Year. It was once believed that the

first visitor in New Year's Day would either bring good luck or bad luck the

rest of the year. A tall dark-haired man was particularly lucky

visitor.Traditional New Year foods are also believed to bring luck. Many

cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck because it

symbolizes "coming full circle" (completing a year's cycle). The Dutch eat

doughnuts on New Year's Day for good fortune.Celebration of the arrival of New

hopes and aspirations.....Many parts of the US celebrate the New year by eating

black-eyed pea dishes. Either hog jowls or ham typically

accompanies these legumes. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been

considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus it's meat, is

considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good

luck" vegetable that is eaten on New Year's Day cabbage leaves are also

considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency). In

some regions, rice is considered lucky food that is eaten on New Year's

Day.Traditional New Year is a religious feast, but since 1900s it has become an

occasion for celebration on the night between December 31 and January 1,called

the New Year's Eve. There are often spectacular fireworks displayed at

midnight.

Photos Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever.