Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Pandas! These words we use to wish friends and family on New Year’s Eve have a long and interesting history and yet we say them without thinking. In fact, it was not always this way as it was not even on the 1st of January that these words were originally said, and the date has changed more than once over time and depending on cultures and beliefs. For example, the beginning of the new Chinese calendar year depends on the moon; therefore it appears as a movable date in our calendar, changing each year. Celebrating the ‘New Year’ is the oldest celebration in the world with the first celebration dating back to Babylon over 4000 years.
Wiki Commons Picture: Chinese New Year, San Francisco, 2006, Copyright © 2006 Mai-Linh Đoàn
The history of the Calendar
In the year 46 BC, Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar; the 1st January was the day when the New Year synchronized their calendar with the sun. The Romans dedicated this first day to Janus, god of gates, doorways and beginnings.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, this tradition began to alter throughout the Middle Ages with the dates for New Year differing by country. The English held New Year in March; the French on Easter Sunday and it was the Italians that used Christmas.
It was not until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, that it was officially decided that the year will begin on the 1st January.
New Year Traditions
Many of us try to make New Year’s resolutions and this is a tradition dating back to the Babylonians. Although popular, many find it hard to keep our resolutions very long! What are your resolutions for 2011?
Greeting cards: In the Middle ages the greeting card made its appearance. In those days people would send a small present to their families with an accompanying hand-painted letter to wish them ‘seasons greetings’. This tradition completely disappeared in the sixteenth century but came back strong in the eighteenth century.
Kisses under the mistletoe: The gesture comes from a legacy of old traditions and beliefs as green foliage and evergreen mistletoe were thought to have supernatural powers as the leaves would ‘never die’. For Druids, mistletoe was happiness and was thought to provide certain things, allowing women to have children, guaranteeing a good harvest and protecting people from bad luck. Today, we have kept the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe on the Eve of the New Year to experience happiness and sentimental fun for those who are both married and single.
Food: Many cultures believe that eating something in the shape of a ring will bring luck as the circle symbolizes the 
completion of the cycle of one year. Many countries have different tradition to start the New Year.
The Dutch eat ‘oliebollen’ (see picture) on New Year’s Eve to be lucky while the Spanish eat grapes on each stroke of midnight. In Italy eating special food is thought to bring wealth and prosperity so buns, lentil dishes and cakes coated with honey are eaten!
Wiki Commons Picture: Original author: w:nl:Gebruiker:Teunie.
During the 12 strokes of midnight in Russia most people drink champagne and after 12 shots, open a window or a door so that the New Year can enter the house.
What traditional things do you do to celebrate the New Year?
Do you have any special traditions in your family, or from where you live?
I wish you all the very best for the New Year Pandas.
Love & Peace,
Kamaria
December 30th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
thanx kamaria
you to have a happy new year
December 30th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
HAPPY NEW YEAR
2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 30th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Hi Kamaria!
Im from Greece.Here we celebrate the New Year with fireworks!
We all stay awake until midnight come.Everyone opens the TV and waits for the time…the time in the tv goes backwards until it says…
‘Five…Four…Three…Two…One…’
Happy new year!!! We all say to each other.
December 30th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
KAMARIA YOU DA BESTEST WILL YA BE MA FREND AND I LOVE YA SEXY KAMARIA
December 30th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
happy new year and its my dadys bday today
December 30th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Happy New Year!!!!!!
that HNY wuzz for kamaria, max, ella, max’s grandma, Manny penny lenny and everyone else plus my panda friends and the pandas that i dont no
HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL OF U GUYS!!!!!
yours truly,
peacepeach247
December 30th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
we invite our neigbors for a party then we all go outside and yell 5 4 3 2 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR im gonnna be here on the actully new year
December 30th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Hola Kamaria,Max y Ella.
I lived in spain for five hoel years and now i have come back to cold wet England :\ but i enjoy every second.
HAPPY 2011!
December 30th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
December 30th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
well we usally pop these tubes with prizes in them.
December 30th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
i,v forgoten what i do for new years eve
sobs 
December 30th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
i’m sad coz 2010 is narley gone and i have so much sad memories like wen my grandad died
but a happy new year best of wishes for 2011!!!!!!!!!!! nico2010
December 30th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Happy New Year , dear Panfu Team!
December 30th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Happy New Year all pandas
December 30th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
wow thanks. That really helped me with my project on different countries new years and christmas’s. I’m doing China now and again thanks again
December 30th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
happy new year max and ella and manny kamaria aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaachoo sorry
mabye you cood give me a tishu thnx gtg go not bye truly,
December 30th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:twisted:
December 30th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
happy new year kamaria
December 31st, 2010 at 12:08 am
HAPPY NEW YEAR PANDAS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD XD XD XD XP XO
GO PANFU WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
December 31st, 2010 at 2:31 am
wow
December 31st, 2010 at 2:32 am
happy new year
December 31st, 2010 at 5:21 am
i want panfu to link my blog!
Hey Tiredtedd!
We have linked your blog! It’s really cool! Thanks for linking Panfu to your page! Have fun in Panfu!
Be good,
Max
December 31st, 2010 at 5:29 am
i relly wish i was a gold panda today”:(” It is relly anoying “:(“
December 31st, 2010 at 5:49 am
WWWWOOOOOOO HHHHHHHHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! B)
December 31st, 2010 at 5:50 am
BD BD BD
December 31st, 2010 at 6:11 am
I live in Russia that is what my dad does. I was 15 so I had a bit of champagne. My mom didn’t let me have much.
December 31st, 2010 at 2:05 pm
HAPPY NEW YEAR
2011 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 31st, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Happy new year
December 31st, 2010 at 5:47 pm
happy new year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 1st, 2011 at 9:54 am
HAPPY NEW YEAR KAMARIA,MAX,ELLA,THE PANFU TEAM,AND ALL PANDAS. 2010 WAS FUN BUT NOW WE HAVE 2011!
from jessiee778
January 1st, 2011 at 2:19 pm
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR HAPPY 2011 DAY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 2nd, 2011 at 5:57 pm
hi i realy like all of so from the 1th of jan i wud like to be bff whith you all and mabye an online boyfreind.till then happy new year.
January 2nd, 2011 at 6:00 pm
yo was up
HAPPY NEW YEAR PANDA FREINDS
January 2nd, 2011 at 6:01 pm
BYE THE WAY I AM COOLIHEART I PROMIES.
January 3rd, 2011 at 2:11 am
hi. im russian so for new year on our tv we get russian tv shows for free
,but then a week or somethin later they take it back 
. so all night we watch the russian shows about new year and music. then we watch this ball drop down and sometimes a giant clock strike twelve.then we stay up till like 2:00 or later,or earlier,but deffinetly after twelve! weel thats how i celebrate new year. ps i forgot to menshion,we eat a lot of food.
BYE EVERYONE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
January 3rd, 2011 at 5:43 am
GREAT YEAR GUYS ENJOY NEW YEAR’S
maybe I will 
maybe I won’t 
still pandas jump for joy and root for soda cuz a new year’s comin along woo say hi to Toontown1 and myself add both 
Ella this is embarassing but 
do you have a crush on max?
January 5th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
hey kamaria
2011
i have a crush on ya
January 6th, 2011 at 10:13 am
i like it
January 6th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
hi pandas bye pandas my time has come to be happy!
January 7th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
writing contest
I think panfu is very good and fun because their is loads of exiting things happening. my best part of panfu is i can make new friends and that is reward enough.Ella and max are very helpful when i first stared this i got lost!so i wanna thank max and ella and all the friends i have made out their.i very hope i will win but i do not mind if i lose but congratulations to the person who won.Also happy new year and enjoy the holidays. i just love panfu don’t you i o on it like fourteen times a day.very good take care.oh plz vist me and be my friend.hope u have a good forever! c ya
January 8th, 2011 at 12:01 am
Hey Max hey Ella u r soooo cool but i have one question when is next gold panda day? plz tell me and i will be very thank full
March 18th, 2011 at 7:29 pm
March 18th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
March 18th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
March 27th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
HAPPY NEW YEAR PANFU!
I ♥ YOU!
May 12th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
In my country,we celebrate New Year with a traditional Roast Dinner and pudding with fireworks!Each year it’s a bit different but also I’m always happy I have friends who’re doing the same!On New Year’s Eve,I sometimes stay up until Midnight and we sometimes watch the New Years Celebration in London on Television!
I’m always too tired to get up in the morning after!
Paws up to celebrate together!
Xx
December 8th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
:OPS:
December 8th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
i ♥love♥ new year
be cuz its almost come christmas i cant wait
December 16th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Rofl xD dats cool 2011 was kinda boring..but hopefully 2012 will be betta
Merry xmas..nd happy new year lol
June 30th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
2012 is cool!I don’t like 2010 or 2011……I don’t know why….. (mrgreen)