Happy New Year!

New Years

New Year's is a time to reflect, a time to look ahead and a time to make New Year's resolutions you'll never keep! But besides sharing memories, resolutions and watching the New Year's Eve ball drop at Time Square- what is New Year's Eve all about? Well, our team of experts have done some research and uncovered the answers to the origin of New Year's Day. Whether you're going to a New Year's Eve party or hosting one, continue reading for helpful tips on planning your New Year's Eve and New Year's Day activities and so much more!

The Origin of New Year's Day

• Originally on March 1st, New Year's Day is now celebrated on January 1st. Originally, New Year's was celebrated for military and religious reasons. Sometime between the 7th century and the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day became about new beginnings and the hope for good luck. Some of the traditional foods that are believed to bring luck in the New Year include black eyed peas, pork and sauerkraut, collard greens, cornbread, noodles and pickled herring. A favorite New Year's superstition, especially for shopaholics, is that wearing something new on New Year's Day will increase your likelihood of receiving more new garments in the new year! So get shopping girls!

New Year's Eve Parties

• The biggest party of the year happens on New Year's Eve! Whether you're with 300+ of your "closest friends" at a swanky bar or attending a small family get-together, ring in the New Year right! New Year's Eve party essentials include party hats, wine glass tags, champagne noise blowers, and lots of confetti. You'll also want to have a variety of snacks on hand for your guests to enjoy such as nachos and salsa, nuts, chicken wings, pizza, pretzels, and chips. No New Year's Eve party is complete without music. Instead of antagonizing over what music your guests will want to hear, ask them to include three song suggestions in their RSVP response. Use a free New Year's Eve online invitation to keep all the suggestions in one place. If music doesn't keep your party jumping, it's good to have New Year's Eve party games to keep guests entertained until the ball drops at midnight. The last must-have for your New Year's Eve party is the lyrics to the most popular New Year's Eve song, Auld Lang Syne. Make copies and distribute them just before midnight. We're sure there is good luck in successfully leading a choir of New Year's Eve party guests!

Time Square Ball Dropping

• It wouldn't be New Year's Eve without watching the ball drop at Time Square in New York City. A tradition that has extended over 100 years, the New Year's Eve ball is made out of Waterford crystal and weighs 1,070 pounds. Traveling overseas for New Years? Bring your laptop and watch the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration live, courtesy of MSN.

New Year's Resolutions

• Don't worry if you don't remember your New Year's resolutions from last year; the majority of people make the same resolutions year-after-year, such as finding a better job, sticking to a budget and spending more time with the family. According to a survey commissioned by Weight Watchers and conducted by Harris Interactive, the most popular New Year's resolution is losing weight followed by quitting smoking. If one of these is on your list and you don't know where to start, check out organizations like Weight Watchers and QuitNet.com for guidance. You and your friends most likely have similar resolutions, so be sure to set goals together and support each other. American Greeting's members can send encouragement and support ecards everyday to all their girlfriends. Try a 30-Day Free Trial today and make keeping a resolution fun.

New Year's Day Activities

• Watch TV and eat! Now that's a good way to stick to your New Year's resolutions! New Year's Day, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, has some great events on TV. Start the morning off in Pasadena, California for the most famous New Year's Day parade, the Tournament of Roses Parade. In the afternoon, you can catch the Rose Bowl Football Game. Our favorite New Year's Day tradition is The Coney Island Polar Bears Club's Annual New Year's Day swim. Now that's one way to "chill" in the New Year!