Starting the year in just the right way to ensure a happy and successful following 12 months is not just a modern day idea.
These days, goals made at the start of January might involve a daily step count or less screen time. However, in years gone by, they used to be for a bountiful harvest or finding your true love.
How well do you know these New Year’s traditions - some dating back hundreds of years and many of them still carried on in the UK today?
This article was published in December 2024
Looking for quizzes, amazing stories and fun facts?
Bitesize Topical has it all!
New Year traditions in the UK and around the world
First-footing, oliebollen and empty suitcases are all ways of seeing in 1 January
How winter solstice is marked around the world
From China's Dongzhi festival to St Lucia's Day in Scandinavia - and more.
Seven great lasts that marked the end of an era
BBC Bitesize takes a look at seven great lasts that some may say ended an entire era.
