F. Y. I.

Did You Know ?
The lyrics to the song "Auld Lang Syne" (Scottish for "old long ago") were written by poet Robert Burns and published after his death in 1796.

Famous First
Roman emperor Julius Caesar officially declared Jan. 1 to be a New Year in 46 B.C. January was named after the Roman god Janus who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward.

Holiday Lore
It is said that if a woman looks out her bedroom window upon rising on New Year's Day and sees a man passing by, she will be married before the year is out.

Quotable
by Eugene F. Ware, lawyer and poet (1841-1911)
"All glory comes from daring to begin."

Eating for Luck
In Spain, eating 12 grapes at midnight is a popular New Year's tradition, and in Holland, it's doughnuts.

Break in Tradition
Since its inaugural descent in 1907, the New Year's Eve ball has dropped every year on Times Square except for 1942 and 1943, due to wartime restrictions.

In Other Worlds
In Columbia, Cuba and Puerto Rico, families stuff a life-size male doll with things that have bad memories or sadness associated with them, dress it up in old clothes from each family member and, at the stroke of midnight, set "Mr. Old Year" on fire.