- Categories:
- Special Interest
- Tags:
- ActivitiesFederal
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every January 1
- Holiday emoji:
- 🎉
New Year’s Day ushers in a fresh start every January 1. It’s a day filled with optimism, reflection, and the promise of new beginnings. Take time to set your intentions for the year, connect with loved ones, and embrace the opportunity for personal growth and positive change.
Want to sponsor New Year's Day? Learn how
Expected New Year's Day Deals
While specific 2027 promotions are still under wraps, New Year’s Day traditionally brings a wave of post-holiday sales and wellness-focused deals. Expect major retailers like Target and Amazon to offer discounts on home goods, electronics, and winter apparel. Fitness brands such as Peloton and Nike often launch special offers on equipment and subscriptions to encourage New Year’s resolutions. Grocery stores like Whole Foods Market may feature sales on healthy eating options. Look for travel companies like Expedia to promote early-bird deals for spring and summer getaways. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as January 1 approaches.
Platform Guide for New Year's Day
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #NewYearsDay. Share your resolutions or favorite traditions, and engage in real-time conversations about new beginnings.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NewYearsDay. Post inspiring visuals of your celebrations, resolution progress, or festive gatherings.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #NewYearsDay. Share family traditions, community events, or motivational messages for the year ahead.
New Year's Day Hero
Pope Gregory XIII
History of New Year's Day
In the United States and many other countries around the world, January 1, the first day of the Gregorian calendar, ushers in a new year replete with New Year’s resolutions and promises to do better than in the year before. The day begins with hangover concoctions for some and, for others, prayers of gratitude for surviving to see a new year filled with promise. But how did this holiday begin? It’s a very old story.
Most civilizations aligned their calendars with the moon. The ancient Mesopotamians and Babylonians observed the new year over 4,000 years ago. For them, a new year followed the phases of the moon and the vernal equinox — when sunlight and darkness were equally balanced. Â
The Babylonians ritualized the vernal equinox with Akitu, a religious observance spanning 11 days. The Egyptians marked the new year with the flooded waters of the Nile and the star, Sirius. To this very day, the Chinese New Year arrives with the second new moon after the winter solstice.Â
The evolution from the lunar calendar to today’s Gregorian calendar commences with the early Roman calendar devised by Romulus, allegedly suckled by wolves who, along with his brother, Remus, founded Rome. The original Roman calendar was introduced in the 8th century at the start of the vernal equinox (when the light and the darkness are equal, remember?) with 10 months and 304 days. Another Roman king, Numa Pompilius added Januarius and Februarius.Â
Most historians credit the Roman emperor Julius Caesar with developing the Julian calendar, designating January 1 as the start of a new year. The Gregorian calendar, which many nations around the world use today, arrived in 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII aligned the calendar, not with the moon, but with the earth’s rotation around the sun — marking 365 days.
New Year's Day timeline
Along with signifying the vernal equinox as the start of a new year, the ancient Babylonian festival of Akitu honors the sky god Marduk’s victory over the sea goddess, Tiamat.
Julius Caesar changes the calendar from pre-Julian to Julian by adding a day every four years as a way to balance out the lunar and solar calendars.
The heads of the Church temporarily replace January 1 with Christmas Day or the Feast of the Annunciation — days with more religious significance.
The Roman Catholic Pope Gregory XIII creates the self-named Gregorian calendar based on the Earth’s rotation around the sun as 365 days or a full year.
How Businesses Can Celebrate New Year's Day
Local businesses can embrace New Year’s Day by offering special promotions that align with resolutions and fresh starts. Fitness studios might host ‘first class free’ events, while healthy cafes could introduce new menu items. Retailers can promote post-holiday clearance sales or offer discounts on organizational products. Consider partnering with local charities for a ‘start fresh’ donation drive, encouraging customers to give back as they begin the new year.
New Year's Day - Survey Results
Survey done by one of the top Market Research Agencies:
New Year's Day Traditions
Adding pork to the New Year’s Day menu
You might shake your head to this but many countries have New Year’s traditions that include pigs, which represent progress and abundance. Pork is on New Year’s Day menus in Portugal, Austria, Cuba, and Hungary.Â
Thank the Babylonians for New Year’s Day resolutions
Not only were the Mesopotamians and Babylonians among the earliest cultures to mark New Year’s Day as the start of a new year; they came up with the concept of making resolutions. Making resolutions on the first day of the year gave one favor to the gods.Â
Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day
Did you know that the tradition of cooking and eating black-eyed peas goes back over 1,500 years as a Jewish New Year’s Day tradition? This Rosh Hashanah meal arrived in Georgia with Sephardic Jews around 1730. African-Americans also marked their freedom on January 1, 1863, by cooking and eating black-eyed peas.
New Year's Day FAQs
When is New Year's Day?
In 2027, New Year’s Day will be observed on a Friday, January 1, providing a long weekend for many to rest and reflect on the year ahead.
Is New Year's Day a federal holiday?
As a federal holiday, New Year’s Day in 2027 will see post offices, banks, and many government services closed. It’s a day for widespread public observance and often a chance for extended family gatherings.
How many people celebrate New Year's Day?
Across the world, New Year’s Day is a universal symbol of renewal. Millions in the U.S. engage in various traditions, from watching parades to setting personal goals, making it a truly collective experience.
What are common New Year's Day traditions?
From the iconic ball drop in Times Square to singing ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ New Year’s Day traditions in 2027 will continue to revolve around optimism. Many also focus on decluttering, organizing, and planning for personal and professional growth.
New Year's Day Activities
One word: brunch
Soak up the champagne with a nice stack of pancakes and strong coffee. Or go wild with a crab cake benedict. Start the year off on a good foot, with a great meal!
Share resolutions, intentions, or goals with loved ones
Making any change to your life or behavior — big or small — becomes easier when you have the support of friends and family. Say what you’d like to do differently out loud and chances are you’re more likely to follow through.
Clean out your closet
Clear out the old clothes, the frumpy pants, and the unwearable shoes. Play some great music. Invite friends over. Start the new year with some space in your closet and mind for wonderful new things.
5 Novel Facts About New Year's
726 miles traveled
In 2012, the AAA claimed that Americans traveled 726 miles on New Year's Day.
Hangover food saves many on New Year's Day
Instead of cooking a big meal on New Year’s Day, 28% of Americans eat out at restaurants for hangover food.
New year, new babies!
There are almost 8,000 new babies born with a January 1 birthday.
Champagne showers
360 million glasses of sparkling wine are consumed on New Year's Eve.
Fourth favorite holiday in America
41% of Americans say New Year's Eve is their favorite holiday, after Christmas, Thanksgiving, and July 4th.
Why We Love New Year's Day
It feels like a blank page
New year, new … everything! The stress of the holiday season is behind you and you have a whole new year for travel, connection, learning, and exploration. What can you do this year that makes you unrecognizable to yourself a year from now? Go on, think big this year!
Your healthy habits don’t seem so weird
Sure, you like your glass of wine now and then, but every day? For those of you who have great habits like being vegetarian or low-carb and going to the gym — today, everyone’s trying to be like you. How are you going to help your friends and family stay healthier?
The sense of accomplishment when you look back over the last year
You make wake up late today, but you accomplished a lot in the last year and probably needed the rest! New Year’s Day is a day to give yourself a pat on the back for all you’ve done and are about to do.
Social Media Tips for New Year's Day
Individuals
Creators
Brands