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The Ball drop is an American Tradition that occurs when mid night is hit. When Mid night hits the ball drops down the flag pole. This tradition started in 1907 and the ball was first created out of wood and iron. Jacob Starr was the first person to create the ball. The only years since 1907 that the ball wasn't dropped was 1942 and 1943 because of war. All though crowds still gathered and celebrated the new year at the same spot as the Ball Drop usually occurred. The ball was changed four different times since 1907.

https://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye-history-times-square-ball

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New Years Resolutions are a big tradition of an American New Years. A New Years Resolution is when people decide goals for the year to solve conflicts in their lives and try to complete them over the year. Some examples are saving money, quitting smoking, acting in a more saintly fashion, and the most often New Years resolution being losing weight.

https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/holidays/new-years-resolution-slim-down

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In Australia they always celebrate New Years on the first day of the New Year. They celebrate with parties and picnics in public spaces. They mostly play outside games in public spaces and in parties. On New Years Eve they start to make loud noise at midnight to signal a New Year.

http://www.fathertimes.net/australiannewyear.htm

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The first tradition in Germany is when people drop Molten lead into ice cold water. They would do this to try and predict the future for the year. If the lead formed a ring, it meant marriage, if it formed a boat, it meant they would go on a journey, and if it formed into a pig, it meant they would have plenty of food. Another tradition the Germans have is leaving just a little bit of every food until midnight.

http://www.fathertimes.net/germannewyear.htm

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In Brazil Lentil is supposed to signify wealth, so on the first day of the New Year they will serve specific foods that go along with lentil and have lentil in them. Another tradition is making a sacrificial boat with flowers and other items to send to their "god of Water".

http://www.fathertimes.net/braziliannewyear.htm

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Foods that are traditionally eaten on New Years!

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Foods that are traditionally eaten on New Years!

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One of the foods that is traditionally eaten on New Years is black eye peas because people say that it will give you luck and prosperity for the year.

6 cups water

1 cube chicken bouillon

1 pound dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed

8 ounces diced ham

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt, to taste

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Pour water into a slow cooker; add bouillon cube and stir to dissolve.

3. Stir in black-eyed peas, ham, bacon, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt.

4. Cover and cook on Low until beans are tender, 6 to 8 hours.

5. Serve hot and enjoy!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/142892/slow-cooker-spicy-black-eyed-peas/

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Corn Bread is also one of the traditionally eaten foods on New Years because it symbolizes gold and other good things. People believe that you will have wealth if you eat these on the first day of the year.

½ cup butter

⅔ cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square pan.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly whisk in eggs.

4. Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl; whisk mixture into the skillet. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well-blended and only a few lumps remain.

5. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

7. Serve and enjoy!

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This video explains different New Years traditions around the world. Including countries like South Africa and Germany. Traditions are a big part of New Years and are what make it such a special event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDNOTBlFWWY

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My first New Years Resolution is joining a better club or doing a sport at school. For the past few years I have only done one measly club, and no sports. I would love to do more of these, so this year I am. My next New Years Resolution is to stop myself from doing specific sins. I have already stopped from doing one of these sins. The reason I have this resolution is because these sins greatly negatively impact my life, and make me sad, really sad.

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What I have learned from this past year!

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What I have learned from this past year!

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Over the year of 2024 I learned a lot, including methods of not sinning, I learned a lot about photography, I learned a lot about my favorite fiction world, and tons of proof for Jesus and God. I learned a lot about photography from my interest of making movies. Last year I gained in interest in making movies, so throughout the year I made some and watched videos on how to get better. I learned an extreme amount of detail about Arda (The fiction world that contains middle earth, and Lord of the Rings) because I read all of the Lord of the Rings, and read a lot of the Silmarillion. The Final things I learned over the past year were learning more Bible verses on how to avoid the sins that have made some of my life pain, and I learned from Bible class more evidence for our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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My 2024 song is May it be from the end credits of Lord of the Rings. The song speaks lots of darkness which I feel is a good word for most of 2024, but it also speaks of coming up from darkness and that also was a good word for my year. The song is also important to me because its from my favorite fiction world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt3Ggo1CE3g