Why is New Year's Eve such a big deal?

Summary

Podcast Summary

Who Smarted? – "Why is New Year's Eve such a big deal?"

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media
Featured Voices: Adam Tex Davis, Sophie Plitter, Brandon Bayless, Jerry Colbert, Kim Davis, Jenna Hoban

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Main Theme / Purpose

This episode of "Who Smarted?" explores the global significance of New Year's Eve, examining why it is celebrated, how different cultures around the world mark the occasion, the origins of New Year's traditions, and the science and history behind resolutions. With their hallmark blend of humor and fun, the hosts turn New Year's Eve into a journey through international customs, ancient history, and practical advice for young listeners.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unique Global Traditions (00:01–02:15)

• Host Adam Tex Davis opens with a rapid-fire overview of curious celebrations around the globe:
  • Spain: Eat 12 grapes at midnight for prosperity (00:31)
    • Quote: "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." – Sophie Plitter (00:31)
  • Brazil: Offering flowers and candles to the ocean deity Yemoja (00:45)
  • Italy: Wearing red underwear for luck and success (01:06)
  • Chile: Celebrating in cemeteries with ancestors (01:18)
  • Greece: Hanging onions on doors for renewal (01:26)
    • Quote: "Oh, I'm not sad. It's the onions. Happy New Year." – Kim Davis (01:37)
  • Turkey: Sprinkling salt for peace (01:43)
  • Denmark: Smashing plates at neighbors' doors to leave aggression behind (01:57)
    • Quote: "Some say the bigger the pile of broken dishes, the more luck will come their way. But please, do not try this at home." – Adam Tex Davis (01:58)

2. Common (and Quirky) New Year's Traditions (02:15–03:25)

• Listeners are encouraged to share their favorite traditions—fireworks, the Times Square ball drop, staying up late, making noise, and resolutions.
• Adam prompts: "But why do we celebrate New Year's Eve? ...What's with all the crazy traditions?" (02:24–02:50)

3. The Science of Resolutions and the SMART Method (03:25–05:50)

• Resolutions: Importance as a motivational tool.
• Keeping Resolutions: 90% break them; Feb 1 is the most common day to give up (04:03)
  • Quote: "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." – Adam Tex Davis (04:03)
• SMART Goals:
  • Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound
  • Example: Practicing soccer every Wednesday for half an hour until season start.
    • Quote: "No, no, no. I didn't mean your resolution wasn't smart. I meant smart as in an acronym. S M A R T..." – Adam Tex Davis (04:28)
    • "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." – Adam Tex Davis (05:36)

4. The Ancient Roots of New Year’s (05:50–09:42)

• Origins of Resolutions: Date back to 153 BC, to Janus—the Roman god with two faces, symbolizing reflection and looking forward (05:57).

  • Quote: "Janus, a God with two faces. One looking forward towards the future and one looking backwards towards the past." – Adam Tex Davis (05:57)

• Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah): Lunisolar, in September (06:35)

• Chinese New Year: Lunar calendar, varies from late Jan to early Feb, 15 days, marked by dragon dances, dumplings, and lanterns; each year is linked to a zodiac animal. Other Asian countries have their own versions.

• Other New Years: Tibetan Losar, Persian Nowruz, Nepal (April), Senegal (June), India’s Diwali (October)

  • Quote: "In fact, you could travel the world and celebrate New Year's all year long." – Adam Tex Davis (08:13)

• Why Different Calendars? Geographical and historical separation; knowledge-sharing was slow (08:55–09:07).

  • Joke: "You mean the Dark Ages before the Internet?" – Sophie Plitter (09:07)

• Ancient Babylon (2000 BC): New Year's was celebrated on the first new moon after the vernal equinox.

  • Associated with the sky god Marduk’s victory over Tiamat (09:42).

• Roman Calendar Evolution: Year start often changed by emperors; adopted Julian calendar in 46 BC at 365 days and 12 months (10:22–11:11).

  • Quote: "I'll call it the Julian calendar, after me, Julius Caesar." – Jerry Colbert (10:51)
  • Joke: "Or you could call it the Cleopatran calendar after me, seeing as I suggested it makes sense." – Jenna Hoban (10:57)

5. American Traditions: Times Square and the Ball Drop (11:43–13:09)

• Times Square Ball Drop:

  • 1st Times Square NYE party ended in fireworks; switched to dropping a 700-pound ball for safety (12:00–12:17)
    • "Let's drop a 700 pound iron and wood ball down a pole instead." – Kim Davis (12:00)
  • The ball drop idea was borrowed from England’s time ball at Greenwich (12:26)
    • Time balls helped ship captains set their chronometers; about 150 worldwide.
  • Times Square ball has dropped every year since 1907 (except during WWII blackout years when crowds celebrated with chimes instead) (13:09–13:24)
    • "Still, crowds gathered in Times Square and celebrated with a minute of silence, followed by the ringing of large chimes..." – Kim Davis (13:24)

• Common US Customs: Counting down, making noise, and singing "Auld Lang Syne."

6. The Song “Auld Lang Syne” (13:41–14:53)

• Origins: Scottish folk melody, lyrics by poet Robert Burns (14:15)
  • Quote: "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." – Adam Tex Davis (14:24)
  • Sample lyric performed by Kim Davis to the standard melody (14:36)
    • "Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind..." – Kim Davis (14:36)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Unique Traditions:
  • “Put down the cereal bowl.” – Adam Tex Davis, urging not to smash plates at home (02:15)
• On Goal Setting:
  • “You don’t have to be perfect. The important thing is putting a plan in place.” (05:47)
• On History Before the Web:
  • “You mean the Dark Ages before the Internet?” – Sophie Plitter (09:07)
• On Global New Years:
  • “In fact, you could travel the world and celebrate New Year’s all year long.” – Adam Tex Davis (08:13)
• On Midnight Music:
  • “...it's played on New Year's Eve all around the world, from the USA to Russia to China.” – Adam Tex Davis (14:24)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:01–02:15: World traditions rapid tour
• 03:25–05:50: The science of (and trouble with) New Year’s resolutions, the SMART method
• 05:57–11:11: The history and calendars of New Year’s
• 11:43–13:09: The story of Times Square’s ball drop and its original inspiration
• 13:41–14:53: The song "Auld Lang Syne" and its significance

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Tone & Style

The episode is light, humorous, and highly interactive, filled with playful banter, character voices, jokes, and friendly encouragement. The hosts use real-world examples and lively storytelling to make history and science fun and approachable for children and families.

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Conclusion

This “Who Smarted?” episode transforms New Year's Eve from a single night of parties and fireworks into a rich, global tapestry of tradition, science, history, and song. Listeners come away not only understanding why people mark the turning of the year, but also how to set goals, appreciate cultural diversity, and even join the world in a collective midnight singalong.

Final Note: (Listener shout-outs and credits were given, maintaining the show’s warm and community-driven tone.)

Transcript

[Adam Tex Davis]

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?

[Brandon Bayless]

Happy New Year.

[Adam Tex Davis]

As it turns out, different cultures around the world celebrate New Year's Eve with different traditions.

[Sophie Plitter]

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.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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. Ah.

[Jerry Colbert]

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

[Brandon Bayless]

Feliz Anno Nuovo.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Kim Davis]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Jerry Colbert]

Whoa.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Sophie Plitter]

Whoa.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Put down the cereal bowl. So what about you, smartypants? 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.

[Kim Davis]

On who smarted? Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up everyone. We make smart smarting lots of fun. On who's smart and.

[Adam Tex Davis]

Hey, smarty pants, are you making any New Year's resolutions this year? Let's hear them. 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.

[Sophie Plitter]

Ah, but keeping your resolution can be hard facts.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Sophie Plitter]

Ay, dios mio.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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

[Sophie Plitter]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Sophie Plitter]

Oh, how does that work?

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Sophie Plitter]

Ah, that's very specific.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Sophie Plitter]

Great.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Sophie Plitter]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Jerry Colbert]

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.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Brandon Bayless]

Happy New Year.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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, Seolal in Korea, and Saigonsar 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 Losar. 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.

[Sophie Plitter]

Wow. Why so many different cultural calendars?

[Adam Tex Davis]

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

[Sophie Plitter]

You mean the Dark Ages before the Internet?

[Adam Tex Davis]

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

[Jerry Colbert]

I guess we got about as much light as dark yesterday.

[Jenna Hoban]

I can't see the moon now.

[Jerry Colbert]

Time to party.

[Jenna Hoban]

You know it.

[Adam Tex Davis]

The religious festival called Utiku celebrated the mythical victory of the sky God Marduk over the evil sea goddess Tiamat. 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.

[Brandon Bayless]

Happy New Year.

[Jenna Hoban]

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

[Jerry Colbert]

I just decided.

[Jenna Hoban]

Just now. Yep, I better order the noisemakers.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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

[Jerry Colbert]

But hey, I'm not really keeping track.

[Kim Davis]

I'm Caesar.

[Jerry Colbert]

One year we had 355 days once it was 485 days. Phew, that was a long one.

[Jenna Hoban]

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.

[Jerry Colbert]

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

[Jenna Hoban]

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

[Jerry Colbert]

Buuut my ego is too big. Sorry.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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

[Brandon Bayless]

Happy New Year.

[Jenna Hoban]

Mm.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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. Now back to who Smarted?

[Brandon Bayless]

Happy New Year.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Kim Davis]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

Hey, yo. Won't that be dangerous too?

[Kim Davis]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

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

[Kim Davis]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Kim Davis]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Kim Davis]

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, ringing the new.

[Adam Tex Davis]

In fact, ringing church bells are often part of the New Year's celebration, along with counting down the last 10 seconds before midnight and making lots of noise. 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 old song sang? Of course, some of you may know it as the Old Acquaintance song, but it's actually called Auld Lang Syne.

[Kim Davis]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

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.

[Kim Davis]

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

[Adam Tex Davis]

Happy New Year, everyone.

[Brandon Bayless]

Happy New Year.

[Adam Tex Davis]

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 Luchador, My Sward, and voiced by Sophie Plitter, Brandon Bayless, Jenna Hoban, Kim Davis, Adam TexDavis, Max Kamasky, and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Who's Smarted Is 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.