What is New Year's Eve?
New Year's Eve is the last day of the year and one of the most widely celebrated evenings in the world. People gather with family and friends for dinners and parties, and at midnight there are toasts, fireworks and, in many cities, large public events. In Sweden, Spain, Germany, Latvia and other countries, local customs shape the evening, from eating twelve grapes in Spain, one for each chime of the clock, to pouring molten lead in Germany to predict the future. Each place has its own customs, and in Scotland the night is called Hogmanay.
In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Nordic countries the day is also called Silvester, after Pope Sylvester I, who died on 31 December in the year 335 and whose feast falls on that date. Traditional television, such as the British sketch Dinner for One, is a ritual in German-speaking countries and Scandinavia. In many places, the evening includes a toast with sparkling wine and a countdown to midnight. Silvester is also the common name for the evening in Poland, Czechia and Slovakia. Customs also include eating lentils or other lucky foods in some countries.
Why it is observed
The celebration of the new year on the night between 31 December and 1 January grew out of the choice of 1 January as the start of the year, which was confirmed in the Gregorian calendar and became standard in most European countries between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The night had earlier been associated with farewell and renewal customs, such as loud noise and fire to drive away evil spirits, which survive in fireworks. The Silvester name comes from the feast of Pope Sylvester I, which has long been kept on 31 December in the Roman calendar.
How the date is set
New Year's Eve is fixed on 31 December, the last day of the Gregorian calendar year. In the Orthodox countries that use the Julian calendar for church life, an informal Old New Year's Eve falls on 13 January.
How it is observed
New Year's Eve is not a statutory public holiday in most countries, though in practice banks, offices and shops close early in the afternoon, and in a number of countries, including Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Greece and Portugal in the data used on this site, it is treated as a holiday by custom or a half-day. Public transport often runs all night in large cities, and restaurants and hotels need booking far ahead. Pay and time off depend on national law, collective agreements and the contract. Check local timetables. Check closing times.
Faroe Islands
Latvia