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. Local customs shape the evening: in Spain people eat twelve grapes, one with each chime of the clock, and in Germany it is traditional to pour molten lead into water to foresee the year, while in Scotland the night is called Hogmanay.
In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland (Sylwester), Czechia and Slovakia the day is also called Silvester, after Pope Sylvester I, who died on 31 December 335 and whose feast falls on that date. The British sketch Dinner for One is a television ritual on the evening in Germany and Denmark, among other countries. Many places mark midnight with a countdown and a toast of sparkling wine, and lucky foods such as lentils in Italy are part of the evening.
Why it is observed
The celebration of the new year on the night of 31 December grew out of the choice of 1 January as the start of the year, which the Romans had used and the Gregorian calendar confirmed, and which became standard in most European countries between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The night had long been associated with customs of farewell and renewal, such as loud noise and fire to drive away evil spirits, which survive in fireworks. The name Silvester comes from the feast of Pope Sylvester I, kept on 31 December in the Western church.
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 banks, offices and shops often close early. On this site it is listed as a public holiday for a few countries, including Cuba, Thailand and Venezuela, and as a customary or half day off elsewhere, for example in Austria, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Sweden and Iceland (from 1pm). 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.
Sources
Faroe Islands
Latvia