Saturday Matinee: Who Smarted?

Summary

History Daily Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Saturday Matinee: Who Smarted?
Release Date: January 4, 2025
Host: Lindsay Graham
Produced by: Airship | Noiser | Wondery

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Introduction

In the episode "Saturday Matinee: Who Smarted?" hosted by Lindsay Graham, History Daily delves into the rich tapestry of New Year's Eve traditions around the world. The episode explores the origins of these customs, the historical significance of New Year's resolutions, and how various cultures celebrate the transition into the new year. Through engaging narratives and historical insights, Graham unpacks why New Year's Eve holds such a pivotal place in global traditions.

New Year's Eve Traditions Around the World

The episode begins by highlighting the diverse ways different cultures celebrate New Year's Eve, each imbued with unique symbolism and intentions for the coming year.

• Spain: The 12 Grapes Tradition

  At [03:39], a Spanish speaker explains, "In Spain, we eat 12 grapes, one for each strike of the midnight clock. Hopefully, it will bring us prosperity and good fortune in the New Year."

• Brazil: Offerings to Yemoja

  At [03:53], the narrator describes Brazil's tradition: "In Brazil, citizens head to the beach setting candles and flowers afloat. A gift to an ocean deity known as Yimoja. They wish for this mother of all deities and giver of life to bestow her blessings upon them in the year to come."

• Italy: Red Underwear for Luck

  At [04:14], an Italian speaker shares, "In Italy, we wear red undies for luck and success next year. Feliz Anno Nuovo."

• Chile: Cemeteries as Festive Grounds

  At [04:26], the narrator notes, "Citizens of Chile gather in cemeteries. This way they can include their ancestors in the New Year's Eve festivities."

• Greece: Onions and Salt for Prosperity

  The Greek speaker adds humor at [04:45], "In Greece, we promote growth and renewal by hanging onions on our doors," followed by a Turkish speaker at [04:51], "In Turkey, they sprinkle salt on their doorsteps at midnight to promote peace and prosperity."

• Denmark: Plate Smashing for Luck

  At [04:51], the narrator explains Denmark's unique custom: "In Denmark, people smash plates against their neighbors' doors as a way to leave aggression, frustration, and other angry feelings behind. Some say the bigger the pile of broken dishes, the more luck will come their way."

These varied traditions underscore the universal desire to start the new year with positivity, prosperity, and the shedding of past negativities.

Making Resolutions: Tradition and Transformation

New Year's resolutions are a cornerstone of the holiday, yet many struggle to maintain them. The episode addresses this phenomenon comprehensively.

• Common Resolutions and Challenges

  At [07:22], the narrator lists typical resolutions: "Get better grades. Practice piano more. Stop fighting with siblings. I love you playing less Minecraft, recycle and be more eco-friendly." However, at [08:00], the statistic is revealed: "90% of people break their New Year's resolution at some point during the year, and more people break their resolution on February 1st than any other day."

• Introducing SMART Resolutions

  To combat this, the narrator introduces the SMART framework at [08:13]: "The first step is to make your resolution SMART. S for specific, M for measurable, A attainable, R relevant, and T time-bound."

  A practical example is given at [08:48]:

  • Specific: "I resolve to practice my soccer shooting every Wednesday for a half an hour until the season starts."
  • Measurable: "Is your soccer shot getting harder and more accurate?"
  • Attainable: "You can fit a half-hour of practice into your schedule."
  • Relevant: "It's relevant to improving your overall soccer playing."
  • Time-Bound: "You have an end time set for soccer season."

  The narrator emphasizes flexibility: "If you miss a Wednesday, that's okay. Just make it up or do it the following week. You don't have to be perfect. The important thing is putting a plan in place."

Historical Origins of New Year's Resolutions

Understanding the roots of New Year's Eve celebrations adds depth to their significance.

• Janus: The Two-Faced God

  At [09:54], the narrator connects the tradition to ancient Rome: "The tradition of making New Year's resolutions dates way back to 153 BC. The month of January was named for the Roman God Janus, a God with two faces, one looking forward towards the future and one looking backwards towards the past."

  A humorous reenactment occurs at [10:14], highlighting Janus's role in forgiveness and intention-setting: "Since Janus represented resolving past wrongs and setting intentions for the future, the tradition of the New Year's Resolution was born."

• Global New Year Dates and Calendars

  The episode explores various cultural New Year dates, demonstrating the diversity of time-keeping before global synchronization:

  • Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year, lasting 10 days in September.
  • Chinese New Year: Based on the lunar calendar, featuring festivities like dragon dances and lantern festivals.
  • Tibetan New Year, Nowruz, and others: Celebrated across different months and cultures, each with unique traditions.

  At [12:55], the narrator explains, "All those calendars were created throughout history, before people from different regions, countries, or continents could easily communicate."

• Evolution of the Calendar

  The discussion transitions to the development of the Julian calendar at [15:08], where Julius Caesar's influence is humorously portrayed: "Thus, in 46 BC, the Julian calendar was adopted, and each year was a standard 365 days and 12 months."

The Times Square Ball: A Symbol of New Year's Eve

The iconic Times Square Ball is a central figure in New Year's celebrations, and its history is thoroughly examined.

• Early Celebrations and Safety Concerns

  At [17:40], the narrator recounts the first Times Square ball drop: "The first New Year's Eve party ever hosted in Times Square, New York City, ended in a fireworks show. However, two years later, fireworks were banned for safety reasons."

  The Turkish speaker quips at [18:01], "Fireworks are too dangerous. Let's drop a 700-pound iron and wood ball down a pole instead."

• Origins of the Time Ball

  The episode traces the Time Ball back to Greenwich, England, at [18:09]: "The first Time Ball was installed atop England's Royal Observatory and would drop at 1 pm every afternoon, allowing ship captains to accurately set their navigational chronometers or Fancy watches."

  At [18:52], it's noted that about 150 time balls were installed globally, though most have become obsolete with technological advancements.

• Technological Evolution of the Times Square Ball

  The narrator details the ball's upgrades over time: "The Times Square ball has undergone several technological updates over the decades, but it has dropped every year, with the exception of 1942 and 1943, when wartime lighting restrictions kept New York in the dark for New Year's."

  The Turkish speaker humorously advises, "Still, crowds gathered in Times Square and celebrated with a minute of silence followed by the ringing of large chimes located in trucks parked at the base of the ball tower."

Auld Lang Syne: The Universal New Year's Song

No New Year's Eve summary is complete without mentioning "Auld Lang Syne."

• Origins and Meaning

  At [20:25], the narrator clarifies the song's title and meaning: "Auld Lang Syne means times long past, and while the lyrics seem nonsensical, it's played on New Year's Eve all around the world, from the USA to Russia to China."

  The Turkish speaker recites the lyrics: "Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot in days of auld lang syne."

Conclusion

The episode wraps up by reinforcing the significance of New Year's Eve as a time for renewal, reflection, and setting intentions for the future. Lindsay Graham encourages listeners to embrace their resolutions with the SMART framework, ensuring their goals are achievable and meaningful. The rich variety of global traditions showcased throughout the episode illustrates the universal human desire to mark the passage of time and aspire for betterment in the year ahead.

Notable Quotes:

• Spanish Speaker at [03:39]: "In Spain, we eat 12 grapes, one for each strike of the midnight clock. Hopefully, it will bring us prosperity and good fortune in the New Year."

• Turkish Speaker at [08:25]: "Hey, are you saying getting better at soccer is isn't a smart resolution?"

• Narrator at [08:13]: "The first step is to make your resolution SMART. S for specific, M for measurable, A attainable, R relevant, and T time-bound."

• Julius Caesar at [14:54]: "I love it. Cleopatra. I'll call it the Julian calendar, after me."

• Turkish Speaker at [20:37]: "Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot in days of auld lang syne."

This comprehensive exploration of New Year's traditions and resolutions not only educates listeners on historical practices but also provides practical advice for personal growth in the new year.

Transcript

[Lindsey Graham]

There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at IntoHistory.com Happy New Year History Daily listeners. And with this new year and all its fresh starts and new leafs, I hope you flourish. It's a good thing to get a new beginning. We can all use some forgetting, some forgiveness, and some forward focus. Psychologically, it seems obvious why we would celebrate the New Year. But many of us don't celebrate the New Year on the New Year, do we? We celebrate on New Year's Eve and then recover on New Year's Day. Why is that? When did that tradition get started? For today's Saturday matinee, be sure to gather the kids to listen to the Family Learning Podcast who Smarted? Tackle this question why do we celebrate New Year's Eve? With four new episodes released weekly, who Smarted? Blends trivia and fascinating facts to educate and entertain both kids and adults alike. So I hope you enjoy While you're listening, be sure to search for and follow who's Smarted. We put a link in the show note to make it easy for you.

[Noam Chomsky]

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[Bill Nye]

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[Narrator]

Psst. Hey, smarty pants. It's almost New Year's Eve, so what are you up to? Are you eating grapes? Wearing red pajamas? Did you sprinkle salt on your doorstep? Huh? Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but is it any crazier than this? Happy New Year. As it turns out, different cultures around the world celebrate New Year's Eve with different traditions.

[Spanish Speaker]

Hola. In Spain, we eat 12 grapes, one for each strike of the midnight clock. Hopefully it will bring us prosperity and good fortune in the New Year.

[Narrator]

In Brazil, citizens head to the beach setting candles and flowers afloat. A gift to an ocean deity known as Yimoja. They wish for this mother of all deities and giver of life to bestow her blessings upon them in the year to come.

[Italian Speaker]

Ah.

[Greek Speaker]

In Italy, we wear red undies for a luck and success next year. Feliz Anno Nuovo.

[Narrator]

Citizens of Chile gather in cemeteries. This way they can include their ancestors in the New Year's Eve festivities. And the Greeks promote growth and renewal by hanging onions on their doors.

[Turkish Speaker]

Oh, I'm not sad. It's the onions. Happy New Year.

[Narrator]

In Turkey, they sprinkle salt on their doorsteps at midnight to promote peace and prosperity. While in Denmark, people smash plates against their neighbors doors.

[Greek Speaker]

Whoa.

[Narrator]

As a way to leave aggression, frustration and other angry feelings behind. Some say the bigger the pile of broken dishes, the more luck will come their way. But please, do not try this at home. Whoa.

[Italian Speaker]

Put down the cereal bowl.

[Narrator]

So what about you, smarty pants? What's your favorite New Year's Eve tradition? Shout em out. I heard. Watching fireworks cool. Watching the ball drop in New York's Times Square, making resolutions, staying up late and making noise with noisemakers. All fun ideas, but why do we celebrate New Year's Eve? What makes New Year's such an important landmark date around the world. And what's with all the crazy traditions? This New Year's Eve, let's resolve to take a big whiff of science and history on who's smarted?

[Turkish Speaker]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make Smarting. Lots of fun on who's smarted.

[Narrator]

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[Lindsey Graham]

Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondry's American Scandal. Our latest series tells the story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster, which killed seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, after NASA ignored a fatal design flaw. Follow American Scandal on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator]

Hey, smartypants, are you making any New Year's resolutions this year? Let's hear him. Okay. Get better grades. Practice piano more. Stop fighting with siblings. I love you playing less Minecraft, Recycle and be more eco friendly. Good stuff. Me personally, I resolve to eat less pizza and more broccoli. But whatever you decide, making a New Year's resolution is a great way to motivate yourself towards a helpful goal.

[Spanish Speaker]

Ah, but keeping your resolution can be hard facts.

[Narrator]

90% of people break their New Year's resolution at some point during the year, and more people break their resolution on February 1st than any other day.

[Spanish Speaker]

Ay, dios mio.

[Narrator]

But wait, there's hope for your New Year's resolutions. The first step is to make your resolution smart.

[Spanish Speaker]

Hey, are you saying getting better at soccer is isn't a smart resolution?

[Narrator]

No, no, no. I didn't mean your resolution wasn't smart. I meant smart as in an acronym. S, M A R T. It goes like this. S for specific, M for measurable, A attainable R relevant and T time bound.

[Spanish Speaker]

Oh, how does that work?

[Narrator]

Well, for example, you want to improve your soccer playing, right? See, instead of resolving to just get better at soccer, which is very broad, you could say I resolve to practice my soccer shooting every Wednesday for a half an hour until the season starts.

[Spanish Speaker]

Ah, that's very specific.

[Narrator]

Yes, it is. And specific is the S in smart. Next, you can measure your progress. Is your soccer shot getting harder and more accurate? It's attainable, meaning you can fit a half hour of practice into your schedule. It's relevant to improving your overall soccer playing. And you have an end time set for soccer season.

[Spanish Speaker]

Great.

[Narrator]

Best of all, you can adjust as needed. If you miss a Wednesday, that's okay. Just make it up or do it the following week. You don't have to be perfect. The important thing is putting a plan in place.

[Noam Chomsky]

Coal.

[Spanish Speaker]

So why do people wait until New Year's to make resolutions?

[Narrator]

Good question. The tradition of making New Year's resolutions dates way back to 153 BC. The month of January was named for the Roman God Janus, a God with two faces, one looking forward towards the future and one looking backwards towards the past.

[Greek Speaker]

I sure hope Janus will forgive me for all the not so good things I did last year, like when I stole Gyasa's toga, or when I put vinegar in the grape juice, or when I cheated at chariot racing. Perhaps if I promise to be better and offer some gifts, Janice will bless me with luck next year.

[Narrator]

Since Janus represented resolving past wrongs and setting intentions for the future, the tradition of the New Year's Resolution was born. Of course, while most countries go by the solar calendar beginning January 1st and ending December 31st, there are many cultures that celebrate other New Year's dates. Can you think of any, smarty pants? Did you say Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashanah means Head of the Year in Hebrew and it is known as the Jewish New Year. It's based on a historical Lunisolar calendar utilizing both sun and moon cycles. This New year tradition lasts 10 days and usually falls sometime in September. Happy New Year. There's also the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is determined by the Chinese lunar calendar and always begins on a new moon, which is when the moon appears to be dark, usually at the end of January or the beginning of February. The observation of this tradition lasts 15 days until the next full moon when the moon is brightest, with celebratory highlights including eating sweet dumplings, firework displays, dragon dances and a lantern festival. Each New Year is represented by a different animal in the Chinese zodiac. 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger. Other Asian countries also celebrate the Lunar New Year, like the Festival of Tet in Vietnam, so Lal in Korea and Saigon Sar in Mongolia. In fact, you could travel the world and celebrate New Year's all year long. At the end of February, early March, you could celebrate the Tibetan New Year. During March you could celebrate Nowruz, the beginning of the Iranian Persian calendar. You could celebrate in Nepal in April, Senegal in June and India in October, where many observe the Hindu New Year Diwali, also called The Festival of Lights. Wow.

[Spanish Speaker]

Why so many different cultural calendars?

[Narrator]

You have to remember, all those calendars were created throughout history, before people from different regions, countries or continents could easily communicate.

[Spanish Speaker]

You mean the Dark Ages before the Internet?

[Narrator]

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of New Year's festivities dating back to around 2000 B.C. in ancient Babylonia, citizens celebrated on the first new moon following the vernal equinox, a day towards the end of March, when, with an equal amount of sunlight.

[Greek Speaker]

And darkness, I guess we got about as much light as dark yesterday.

[Julius Caesar]

I can't see the moon now.

[Greek Speaker]

Time to party.

[Julius Caesar]

You know it.

[Narrator]

The religious festival called Utiku celebrated the mythical victory of the sky God Marduk over the evil sea goddess Tiam. Many New Year's celebrations began with different groups basing their celebration around whatever deities or gods or political or cultural traditions they had. In the first few decades of the Roman Empire, the start of the year was largely at the whim of the emperor.

[Greek Speaker]

Happy New Year.

[Julius Caesar]

But, Caesar, how do you know it's New Year's?

[Greek Speaker]

I just decided.

[Julius Caesar]

Just now. Yep, I better order the noisemakers.

[Narrator]

In theory, the Roman calendar was 3, 304 days divided into 10 months.

[Greek Speaker]

But, hey, I'm not really keeping track. I'm Caesar. One year, we had 355 days. Once it was 485 days.

[Narrator]

Phew.

[Greek Speaker]

That was a long one.

[Julius Caesar]

What if you adopt the Egyptian solar calendar? Great for agriculture. My astronomers are maintaining accurate dates. 365 days every year. Works like a charm.

[Greek Speaker]

I love it. Cleopatra. I'll call it the Julian calendar, after me, Julius Caesar.

[Julius Caesar]

Or you could call it the Cleopatran calendar, after me. Seeing as I suggested it makes sense.

[Greek Speaker]

But my ego is too big.

[Turkish Speaker]

Sorry.

[Narrator]

Thus, in 46 BC, the Julian calendar was adopted, and each year was a standard 365 days and 12 months.

[Greek Speaker]

Happy New Year.

[Bill Nye]

Mm.

[Narrator]

There's been many changes throughout the 4,000 years of celebrating New Year's. But how did America get its traditions? Like watching a giant ball drop? The answer is right after this quick break.

[Lindsey Graham]

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[Italian Speaker]

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[Narrator]

Plus now back to who Smarted Happy New Year. The first New Year's Eve party ever hosted in Times Square, New York City, ended in a fireworks show. However, two years later, fireworks were banned for safety reasons.

[Turkish Speaker]

Fireworks are too dangerous. Let's drop a 700 pound iron and wood ball down a pole instead.

[Narrator]

Hey yo, won't that be dangerous too?

[Turkish Speaker]

Nah, don't worry. We'll deck it out with 125 watt light bulbs and lower it slowly.

[Narrator]

In the last moments of 1907, the first ball dropped in Times Square.

[Turkish Speaker]

We didn't invent the idea of dropping a ball. See, we just made it fancy.

[Narrator]

It's true. The first Time Ball was installed in Greenwich, England, a town known for its maritime history and the spot by which we all set our clocks, Greenwich Mean Time. The Time ball was installed atop England's Royal Observatory and would drop at 1pm every afternoon, allowing ship captains to accurately set their navigational chronometers or Fancy watches.

[Turkish Speaker]

About 150 time balls were installed around the world, though as technology improved, they fell out of use. But a few survive, See, like the one at the U.S. naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. and ours in Times Square.

[Narrator]

The Times Square ball has undergone several technological updates over the decades, but it has dropped every year, with the exception of 1942 and 1943, when wartime lighting restrictions kept New York in the dark for New Year's.

[Turkish Speaker]

Still, crowds gathered in Times Square and celebrated with a minute of silence followed by the ringing of large chimes located in trucks parked at the base of the ball tower. You know, ring out the old, ring in the new.

[Narrator]

In fact, ringing church bells are often part of the New Year celebration, along with counting down the last 10 seconds before midnight and making lots of. And then there's the official New Year's Eve song. Have you heard this one before? Do you know what this song is called? Is it Auld Lang Syne, Auld sang line or Auld song sang? Of course, some of you may know it as the old Acquaintance song, but it's actually called Auld Lang Syne.

[Turkish Speaker]

The melody comes from an old Scottish folk song, and the lyrics were written in the 18th century by famed poet Robert Burns.

[Narrator]

Auld ling sign means times long past, and while the lyrics seem nonsensical, it's played on New Year's Eve all around the world, from the USA to Russia to China.

[Turkish Speaker]

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot in days of auld lang syne.

[Narrator]

Happy New Year, everyone. Happy New Year. A triple shout out to super smarty fans Sophia, Juliet and August in Oak Forest, Illinois. Thanks so much for listening to who's Smarty? And I'm so happy to teach you something new each and every day. Hope you had a super smarty New Year's and keep on smarting for the rest of the year. This episode, New Year's Eve, was written by Libby Luchadorma Sward and voiced by Sophie Plitt, Brandon Bayless, Jenna Hoban, Kim Davis, Adam Tex Davis, Max Kamasky and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn, who Smarted his record recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.