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Article: New Year's explained from past to present
- Article from:
- St. Joseph News-Press
- Article date:
- December 28, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2000 St. Joseph News-Press. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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It's the dead of winter. Snow is covering the ground, the sky is
cloudy and temperatures are barely reaching into the 20s.
Great time to celebrate the new year, right?
Well, in ancient Rome it made perfect sense, apparently - more
about that in a minute. But, as it turns out, that's just the tip of
the iceberg when it comes to Trivial Pursuit-ready facts about the
new year's holiday.
Several books have been devoted to the subject over the years,
including Theodor Gaster's "New Year - Its History, Customs and
Superstitions," while the Internet has given rise to a number of
holiday-themed sites.
For Jerry Wilson of Edinburgh, Ind., the history and traditions
of the new year were fascinating ...