United Kingdom, or UK as it is prominently called, celebrates its New Year on January 1, which is the first date of the first month of the Georgian calendar. It has been more than few centuries since UK put up scintillating annual celebrations on New Years Eve.
More particularly, it first happened in the year of 1752. Since then, every New Years Eve brings in enormous amount of happiness and festivities, not only for the natives of UK, but also for hundreds and thousands of those who visit UK during the time.
New Years Eve celebrations in UK are grand and one of the best of the world, for which people eagerly waits for. It is quite obvious with the fact that New Year is the biggest festival of UK. The entire skyline and every thin and thick street of UK are decorated and illuminated with lights. It is colorful affair, and a time to spread fun and cheer.
Most of the people prefer to have their afternoons reserved for only close people. Usually, lavish parties are thrown either at home or some community place with only friends and relatives invited. Music, dance, lavish meals, and prolific range of drinks mutually make up a great party scene for everyone. Some other people prefer to spend their afternoon time relaxing, preparing, and planning for evening celebrations. Evening time is preferred to spend by being a part of community celebrations.
A lot of music concerts, live performances, theme parties, and special New Year parties are organized all over UK, which usually go past the midnight time, and sometimes even till the dawn of the next day. New Years Eve cruises are also one prominent and memorable part of New Years Eve celebrations in UK. Cruise ride through the evening, a lavish dinner in the mid of water, and an extraordinary view of UK at midnight together makes it enough to make anyone’s New year’s Eve a special one.
The biggest moment of celebrations arrive at midnight, and during few minutes preceding it. With midnight drawing closer, everyone pitch their eyes over the second stick of the clock. The countdown, either live or as watched on television, is one cherished moment for everyone when everyone gets to cheer out the last few moments of the Old Year in concord with thousands and millions. At the stroke of midnight, fireworks show is set off in all major cities of UK
The biggest New Year Parade organized on New Years Eve is one spectacular and royal part of New Years Eve. The procession, which has number of performers, musicians, dancers, acrobats, and stunning march drums mutually put up a magical spree on the street. Being an ‘open for all’ parade, hundreds and thousands of others join them during the parade. Procession passes through some famous streets of UK such as Whitehall and Pall Mall to conclude at Berkley Square in the evening.
Traditions are intrinsic part of celebrations on New Years Eve in UK. Most of them hold certain significance, and have been observed since a long time. ‘First footing’ tradition is one of the most prominent one among all. As a part of this tradition and the belief behind it, the luck of a house and people living in it are directly associated with the first person visiting the house on New Year’s Day.
If a male person with dark hair, and preferably god looks visit a house, then it is considered as a sign of good luck. In case, a blonde, red haired, or a woman visits a house, then it denoted for bad luck in the coming year ahead. A male visitor usually brings money, bread, or coal along with him as gifts for the people living in the house. In return, there is a tradition of gifting him with the holy mistletoe. Doing so is considered as auspicious and a deriver of prosperity.
‘Burning of the bush’ is another one largely followed New Years Eve tradition in UK. As a part of it, people burn bush at the midnight of the New Years Eve. Burning them represents for burning of all the past evils and negativities.
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