New Year's Eve fun facts

People have been ringing in the new year for centuries, and many traditions have withstood the test of time. It is believed that celebrating the new year dates back to the ancient Babylonians, who celebrated for 11 days with festivals and other fanfare. Today, many revelers celebrate for just a few hours.

New York City, Disney World in Florida and Las Vegas are among the premier New Year's Eve destinations. New York is best known for its world-renowned Times Square celebration in the heart of Manhattan. Millions of people tune into the broadcast that showcases the ball drop during the countdown to the new year. The tradition of the ball drop may now belong to New York City, but it originated at England's Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1833.

Inviting good luck for the upcoming year is often a component of New Year's Eve celebrations. Some people engage in superstitious activities like eating 12 pieces of a certain food or wearing red, a color that is supposed to invoke good luck. The English look to the "first-footer," or the first person to step foot into their house, to tell them how next year's luck will be.