The celebration of New Year’s is the oldest of all holiday celebrations.

The first celebration of New Years was in Babylon almost 4,000 years ago.

At first the New Years celebrations were based on the beginning of the planting season. The Babylonians thought that if they celebrated the birth of the spring season then they would have good crops and their people would prosper.

To celebrate the new year the Babylonians would use the art of dance to please the gods with colorful outfits and song.

The holiday has grown into a much different holiday.

Today people celebrate the new year with dancing, drinking and parties just to have parties.

In some cases a few people will use the new year to challenge themselves to do better in the coming year; however, most see the holiday as a time for parties.

For some people using old fashion traditions like eating food still seems to give them that extra hope that the new year will hold something special in store.

The most popular of these food traditions include eating black-eyed peas, pork or even cabbage for luck in the new year.

In some cultures eating anything that is a ring will bring you good luck in the year because the ring comes full circle and represents completing a full year’s cycle.

No matter what traditions people follow the fate of the new year rests in the way that each individual uses that time.

Using old traditions may not be on the top of most peoples list but with hard times among us many people are starting to return to the hopes and dreams of what people have been doing for the past 4,000 years.

– Ashley McCartney can be reached at ashley.mccartney@clantonadvertiser.com.