Did You Know.....

[Warph]

                       

....as the world digests news of the death of despot Kim Jong Il, 10 facts paint a picture of North Korea's isolation from the international community.

1. High militarized area
The border between North and South Korea is one of the most militarized areas in the world, according to the State Department, with a combined total of almost two million military personnel under the control of Pyongyang (1.2 million), Seoul (680,000) and foreign powers including the United States (28,000). North Korean arms outnumber those in the South by about two to one, including offensive weapons such as tanks, long-range artillery, aircraft and armored personnel carriers. However, much of the military equipment in North Korea is obsolete.

2. Still at war
Both sides are technically in a state of war, after a ceasefire halted the Korean War more than 50 years ago. Tensions reached their highest levels in years in 2010 with the torpedoing of a South Korean warship, resulting in the deaths of 46 sailors. The South blamed the attack on Pyongyang, but North denied responsibility. Later that year, the North bombarded a South Korean island, the first such attack against civilian target since the 1950-53 Korean War.

3. 51 social categories
North Korea groups its citizens into 51 social categories, graded by loyalty to the regime, according to The Economist. Of those groups, 29 are considered to make up a mostly rural underclass that is hostile or at best ambivalent towards the regime.

4. Gourmet cuisine, starvation
Kim Jong Il had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine, while four in five of North Korean children suffer from malnutrition because food is poorly distributed. In March, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that 6 million North Koreans needed food aid and a third of children were chronically malnourished or stunted  Daily potato rations have been cut by a third, to two for each person.

5. 2 inches shorter
Analysis of escapees from North Korea shows that those born after the partitioning of the Korean Peninsula in the North were consistently about 2 inches shorter than their counterparts in the South, according to a 2004 report in Economics and Human Biology. The minimum height for recruitment to the North Korean army is reported to have fallen by just under an inch. The well-nourished Kim Jong Un was fit enough to have been a keen basketball player while at school in Switzerland, according to fellow students.

6. Secret children
Kim Jong Un was kept from public view until September 2010, when he was 27 years old. The existence of his eldest brother, who was passed over in Monday's succession, was hidden completely from grandfather Kim Il Sung until his death in 1994.

7. 'Clairvoyant wisdom'
North Korea is famous for its colorful use of language, praising its leaders and denouncing its critics. Monday's statement announcing Kim Jon Il's death ran to 1,500 words, and was addressed to "All Party Members, Servicepersons and People." It praised his "clairvoyant wisdom" and said he had "put the dignity and power of the nation on the highest level and ushered in the golden days of prosperity unprecedented in the nation's history." It concluded: "Arduous is the road for our revolution to follow and grim is the present situation. But no force on earth can check the revolutionary advance of our party, army and people under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Un."

8. China crucial
North Korea's survival depends on crucial trade with China: Last year, trade between the two was worth an estimated $3.5 billion, up nearly 30 per cent from 2009.

9. What a golfer!
Kim Jong Il piloted jet fighters, according to the country's propaganda machine, even though he traveled by land for his infrequent trips abroad, reputedly because he was nervous about flying. He penned operas, had a photographic memory, produced movies and accomplished a feat unmatched in the annals of professional golf, shooting 11 holes-in-one on the first round he ever played — if North Korea is to be believed.

10. War, war or jaw, jaw?
Despite the regular tensions, at least one expert thinks the North and South have too much to lose from a full-scale military conflict. Dr Jim Hoare, a British former diplomat who served in the country, told msnbc.com that both sides had "gone to the brink of conflict several times" but stopped short. "Seoul [20 miles from the border] is a vulnerable city and the North would face annihilation," told msnbc.com.

[Warph]

....that Kim Jong Un, Jong Il's third and youngest son, has been the percived heir to the leadership of North Korea since late 2010, when his father's health began to fade.  Also known as Kim Jong Woon, Kim Jung Woon and Pak Un, he was announced as the "Great Successor" by North Korean state television shortly following his father's death.

Very little is known about Jong Un. North Korean officials list his date of birth as Jan. 8, 1984, but there is speculation that he was actually born in 1983.

He attended school at the International School of Berne, in Switzerland, where classmates described him as shy, though particularly competitive, especially in basketball and other sports.  He is said to have studied computer science privately in Korea.

He is a Daejang in the Korean People's Army, a military rank equivalent to that of a General in the United States Army.  There are rumors that he is married, but nothing yet has been confirmed.

Many analysts have noted that it will be interesting to see how Jong Un will lead, whether his European education and fondness for certain aspects of American culture will lead North Korea in a different direction than it followed under his father.  Others have suggested that, because of Jong Un's youth and inexperience, his uncle, Chang Sung Taek, could act as regent.

[Warph]

....that Scientists at Waseda University in Tokyo have created a robot that smacks you in the face if you snore during sleep.

Scientists say the robot can manage sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which a person has one or more pauses in breathing, or takes shallow breaths, while they sleep, disrupting a normal sleep cycle.  The system consists of a large arm attached to a teddy bear pillow, a microphone that listens for snoring sounds and a pulse oxymeter the user must wear on their finger in order to monitor blood/oxygen levels.  The 'bot is activated if it detects the wrong combination of blood/oxygen and snoring patterns.  The arm can be adjusted to be more of a gentle tap to nudge you awake.

I have sleep apnea and use a C-Pap machine and sometime it gets to be a hassle using the face mask I wear at night that is connected to the machine.  If anyone uses a C-Pap, they know what I'm talking about.  This robot sounds like fun compared to the face mask... Warph

[Warph]

....that World War I began in the summer of 1914, as hostilities between European nations boiled over into violence.  The War lasted over four years, involved roughly 70 million soldiers, and claimed the lives of 15 million people.  Marked by trench warfare over the European countryside, the War literally drew lines across the landscape between the French, British, and Russian on one side; Germany, Austria-Hungry, and Turkey on the other.  But for a brief period, beginning on Christmas Eve, 1914, German and British soldiers near Ypres, Belgium, informally agreed to a cease fire, and instead of exchanging artillery fire, exchanged gifts.

That night, German troops celebrated the holiday by decorating their trenches and singing Christmas carols, bringing a small, comforting part of home to the bloody stage of war.  The British returned fire, so to speak, singing carols of their own.  Then, communications became more explicit, as enemy combatants began yelling at each other: yelling season's greetings, that is.  Soon, a real-life Hug o'War followed.   British and German troops alike left their trenches, meeting each other to exchange gifts of food, tobacco, and souvenirs from the other side.  Joint prayer circles formed organically.  Artillery fire came to halt.

Today, a cross marks the place where this spontaneous, informal cease fire took place, against all odds

Bonus fact: While there was no Christmas Truce in World War II, toys played a role — or, rather, the reverse.  Japanese invasions in the Far East and Pacific Rim severely hampered the importation of rubber into the United States.  The U.S. government instituted a handful of measures to maintain the supply of rubber stateside, including rationing out current rubber supplies; salvaging used tires; issuing propoganda promoting car pooling; and turning toward the science community to develop an alternative, synthetic rubber-like material.  One of the early byproducts of these last measure?  Silly Putty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Christmas_Truce_1914.png

[Warph]

.....that as terrible as it sounds, Christians once banned Christmas!

It may seem like Christmas has always been celebrated in the United States, but that's not the case. In fact, the joyous religious holiday was actually banned in America for several decades.... by Christians themselves.

The original war on Christmas was waged during the sixteenth and seventeenth century by Puritans, or Protestant Christians who believed that people needed strict rules to be religious and that any kind of merrymaking was sinful.

"Shocking as it sounds, followers of Jesus Christ in both America and England helped pass laws making it illegal to observe Christmas, believing it was an insult to God to honor a day associated with ancient paganism," according to "Shocked by the Bible" (Thomas Nelson Inc, 2008).  "Most Americans today are unaware that Christmas was banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681."

All Christmas activities, including dancing, seasonal plays, games, singing carols, cheerful celebration... and especially drinking.. were banned by the Puritan-dominated Parliament of England in 1644, with the Puritans of New England following suit.  Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and the Plymouth colony made celebrating Christmas a criminal offense, according to "Once Upon a Gospel" (Twenty-Third Publications, 2008).

Christmas trees and decorations were considered to be unholy pagan rituals, and the Puritans also banned traditional Christmas foods such as mince pies and pudding.  Puritan laws required that stores and businesses remain open all day on Christmas, and town criers walked through the streets on Christmas Eve calling out "No Christmas, no Christmas!"

In England, the ban on the holiday was lifted in 1660, when Charles II took over the throne.  However, the Puritan presence remained in New England and Christmas did not become a legal holiday there until 1856.  Even then, some schools continued to hold classes on December 25 until 1870.

Although the change was gradual, people began to once again embrace the holiday until Christmas as we know it today... complete with mistletoe, eggnog and candy canes... was celebrated throughout the American colonies.

[Warph]

This chart compares the first Earth-size planets found around a sun-like star to planets in our own solar system.


Two new Earths and the search for life

By Meg Urry, Special to CNN
Editor's note: Meg Urry is the Israel Munson professor of physics and astronomy and chairwoman of the department of physics at Yale University, where she is the director of the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. This article was written in association with The Op-Ed Project.


New Haven, Connecticut (CNN) -- Americans were enthralled by fake reports of an alien invasion in the Orson Welles "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast on Halloween Eve in 1938. Hundreds of science fiction movies from the 1902 silent epic "A Trip to the Moon" (featured in the current film "Hugo") to "Star Wars" to this year's "Cowboys and Aliens" have fed a deep curiosity about intelligent beings elsewhere in the universe.

Hang on to your hats, because reality is starting to catch up.

Last Tuesday, scientists reported evidence from the Kepler satellite that two Earth-sized planets are orbiting a nearby star about 1,000 light years from earth -- practically our back yard compared to the extent of our Milky Galaxy, but far too distant to visit with current spacecraft.

These planets, named Kepler 20-e and Kepler 20-f, have sizes and masses similar to the Earth, and their host star is similar to our sun. But the resemblance ends there. Both orbit very rapidly -- in 6.1 days and 19.6 days, respectively, compared to 365 days for an Earth year -- so both are much closer to their star than the Earth is to the sun.

This makes both planets way too hot to support life as we know it. Still, the pace of planet discovery is astonishing. Sometime in the next few years, scientists will likely discover Earth-like planets that are capable of supporting life.

Our sun is just one star among the hundreds of billions that make up the Milky Way galaxy, which itself is only one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. Over the last 15 years, astronomers have found hundreds of planets orbiting stars in our corner of the Milky Way and the list will pass 1,000 next year.

Planets are plentiful. Discoveries of planets are limited only by the capabilities of current telescopes and instruments and by the time needed to sample several full orbits of a planet around its host star.

Most "extra-solar planets" (or "exoplanets") have been found by measuring tiny Doppler shifts (wavelength shifts) in the light of the host star. With this method it is easier to find heavy planets than light ones, and easier to find planets in close rather than distant orbits. So most of the planets found so far are big ones, similar to Jupiter or Neptune in our solar system, only orbiting much, much closer than the Earth to their host star. This is kind of like surveying your neighborhood for sumo wrestlers: You find far fewer than the number of other people who live there, and way fewer than the population of the world. So the 716 known exoplanets are just the tip of the iceberg.

The Kepler satellite uses a different method, based on transits of planets across the face of their host star. Visible light from the star dims very slightly, typically by 0.01% or less for an Earth-sized planet passing in front. Thus Kepler finds planets regardless of mass, although it more easily sees large planets (which cover more of the star's surface and thus diminish the light more) and it only sees planets that cross the star as seen from the Earth (which most planets don't).

By the way, you can help make these discoveries. At www.planethunters.org, a citizen science project started by colleagues of mine at Yale, anyone can search the Kepler data for signs of new planets. In particular, users might find unusual systems that the Kepler computer algorithms don't search for. (For a fun Christmas holiday interpretation of the Kepler plots of star brightness over time, see this video.)

"Life" can mean anything from single-celled organisms to a walking, talking homo sapiens, or possibly something much stranger. For now, scientists are focusing on conventional carbon-based life because its signatures are well known.

Such life requires liquid water, meaning a temperature between freezing (32 F) and boiling (212 F). Planets too close to their star will be too hot, like the sweltering surface of Venus, which approaches the 800 degree Fahrenheit temperature of Kepler 20-f. Planets too far away have frigid surfaces, like Europa, a moon of Jupiter.

Temperatures that allow water to be liquid define the so-called "habitable zone" -- like Goldilocks' favorite porridge, planets in the habitable zone are not too hot, not too cold, but just right for life.

We haven't yet found definitive signs of life elsewhere in the universe. But we can estimate that even the narrowest case of carbon-based life on an Earth-like planet orbiting a sun-like star in the habitable zone is likely, because planets are probably common around such stars, sun-like stars are common in our galaxy, and our galaxy is similar to many throughout the universe.

We also know the building blocks of life -- amino acids and other organic compounds -- form naturally from carbon, water and energy, as the chemists Stanley Miller and Harold Urey first showed more than 50 years ago.

Sadly, although life is likely to exist on exoplanets throughout our Milky Way galaxy, intelligent life is another thing altogether. Humans have lived at most a few hundred thousand years out of the Earth's 4.6 billion year history -- or less than 0.006% of the available time. In contrast, simple single-celled organisms probably formed several billion years ago, and thus have populated the Earth for more than three-quarters of its existence. This means it is overwhelmingly likely that the life we find elsewhere will be extremely primitive.

Face it: We're not going to be IM'ing with aliens, nor should we expect an invasion or a rendezvous in outer space.

For now, we're just looking for cells breathing and multiplying. Not "Another Earth" -- more like "The Blob" (or, "The Green Slime").[/font]

[Warph]

Promotional poster for the 1950 film 'The Flying Saucer.'
CREDIT: Colonial Productions



.....that 2011 was a year of weird news, and sitting on the cusp of 2012, it's time to look back on the odd year that was — as well as look ahead to a year that promises a new level of strangeness.

Monster sightings in 2011: Researchers looking in Siberia for the yeti — the Asian version of North America's Bigfoot — claimed in October to have found "indisputable proof" of the long-sought mystery beast. The Russian team, which included several American scientists, located some odd footprints, as well as some gray hairs in a cave. About a month later, a member of the expedition, biologist John Bindernagel, claimed his group found even more evidence, including nests and shelters made of tree branches twisted together. However, another member of the same group reported finding evidence of hoaxing and branded the whole expedition a publicity stunt.

2011 was also the year that the mystery of the chupacabra, the Hispanic vampire beast, was solved, after some 15 years of mystery. DNA testing on dead "chupacabras" found in Texas and elsewhere revealed them to be mostly dogs and coyotes afflicted with mange, and the legendary creature's origin was traced back to a 1995 monster movie instead of any real-life encounter. [Is It Illegal to Kill a 'Chupacabra'?]

Monsters to look for in 2012: Will the yeti footprints and hair samples finally reveal the truth? If the claims made by the Russian expedition are not hype or hoax, then perhaps the world will finally get definitive proof of the long-rumored creature. Surely after so many decades of ambiguous sightings and searches, hard evidence of Bigfoot or the yeti is long overdue. As for the chupacabra, people in North America and elsewhere will continue to find mangy dogs and coyotes and assume the unfortunate beasties are chupacabras.

Doomsday predictions made in 2011: The year began on an ominous note when fundamentalist Harold Camping, leader of the ministry Family Radio Worldwide, concluded after careful study of the Bible that the world would end May 21. The announcement made national news, and concerned many believers. Camping and his followers were embarrassed when May 21 came and went without a hitch, and he eventually admitted there must have been a miscalculation somewhere. Camping moved the date back a few months, concluding that October was the real month Armageddon would begin. That doomsday date came and went, as well, and the only thing destroyed was Camping's credibility.

Doomsdays to prepare for in 2012: The upcoming year is certain to bring more concerns about doomsdays and apocalypse — not necessarily from Bible-thumping evangelicals but (supposedly) from the ancient Mayans, whose calendar "ends" next year. Some New Agers think the world will end along with the end of the Mayan calendar cycle; others believe a new age of global peace and harmony will emerge. For other groups, the concern isn't so much the calendar date but a collision between Earth and the mysterious (and nonexistent) planet Niburu. Of course, people have been predicting doomsdays for millennia, and while nary one has come to pass, one day, sooner or later, the prognosticators will be right. [Does Howard Camping Foresee the World Ending in 2012?]

UFOs and aliens spotted in 2012: The summer of 2011 was an especially busy period for UFO sightings, according to an organization that tracks such reports. The Mutual UFO Network noted that sightings in some states more than doubled their usual numbers. The group could not explain the apparent increase, saying that it could be real, or possibly just a computer error.

As the reports of sightings soared, so did the lights in the skies. In early October more than a dozen strange lights were seen over the northern Utah city of Washington Terrace just after 11:30 p.m. They emitted a strange, fiery glow as they headed north at an estimated speed of about 70 mph, according to one eyewitness. The lights puzzled the public and police and had the UFO community buzzing. Finally, students at the local Bonneville High School admitted they had launched 16 lit Chinese lanterns that night; the lanterns had been reported as UFOs.

Even close-up views of alien spaceships proved to be of something else. That was the case of a "flying saucer" spotted being hauled down a main street in a Kansas town; it turned out to be a (comparatively mundane) military spy plane.

UFOs and aliens to look out for in 2012: There's some reason to believe UFO sightings will continue at the same rate, or even increase, through 2012. UFO reports historically occur in clusters or "flaps." And reports could be on the rise because more and more people carry cellphones with built-in cameras, making it easier than ever to report a potential sighting.

A few sightings tend to encourage even more sightings. Will extraterrestrials finally make their presence clearly known, landing on the White House lawn or staying still long enough to get some clear, sharp photos or videos? That's been the hope and promise of UFO believers for decades now.

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and author of Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries. His Web site is www.BenjaminRadford.com.

[Warph]

.....that Big Foot just might exist.  One of the most famous films of a Bigfoot/Sasquatch was of a thing nicknamed "Patty" because it was recorded by a man named Roger Patterson and his friend Jim Gimlin near the Klamath River in California back in October of 1967.  Recently the film was viewed by a famous fellow who says that it proves to him that this is a real creature.  A giant ape native to so many places around the world.  It has been sighted and recorded in 49 states.  The Indians have tales of them going way back and pioneer and colonial sightings are shared.

For every credible film there are tons of stupid hoaxes which hinder real research. But there are a large number of sightings in Jackson, NJ, Manchester, and down by the Bass River State Park as well as north in Sussex county, Stokes State Forest and etc.

Is this a HOAX???:

Several things about these creatures in the films are interesting.  First, the bent leg compliant gait is impossible for humans at the rate of speed the subject if moving.  Second the long arms that fall to the knee line are too long for humans.  This can be seen in the original film itself.  The rise/ fall stepping and inline step  is not human like either.  You can  literally see  the muscle ripple beneath the fur and you can see the foot and toes rise up on footfall.  In the small animation at top you can see the muscle and fat shake with the footfall from the back down into the thigh.

What do you think?  Does the FBI have an interest in Big Foot?  http://squatchwatch.weebly.com/the-fbi-bigfoot-files.html

I guess until or if they ever really get a true closeup, it will always be a mystery.  Then again, today, even a closeup would bring out the skeptics I guess.  I don't know what would prove if it exists or does not except a live capture or a group of professionals finding one.

As for me, I just can't say one way or the other, but I find it fascinating.[/font]
                                 
   
                 
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR, COUSINS!

                                               
                                 

[larryJ]

For those of you who are curious............When the Pasadena Hunt Club began the Tournament of Roses festivities, one of the rules was that if Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday, the parade is postponed until the following day.  As this is Southern California, bad weather has not been a factor in too many years.  I have seen the parade go on in rain and freezing cold and like tomorrow, those marching down the parade route will be sweating bullets due to the 80 degree temperature.  News programs today are showing people claiming their place along Colorado Blvd. to watch the parade and many are in swimsuits sunbathing.  I used to always go outside on the front porch when the stealth bomber would fly over because it had to come by our house.  My wife says she has seen it, but I never have.  Upon mentioning this to my son, he said, "Dad, it's a stealth bomber............DUH!  You're not supposed to see it."

And to think of all the money I paid for his college education was not wasted..............!

Tune in tomorrow morning and enjoy my world for a few hours.

Larryj

[Warph]

                                                    



....that probably the most famous tradition in the United States is the dropping of the New Year ball in Times Square, New York City, at 11:59 P.M. Thousands gather to watch the ball make its one-minute descent, arriving exactly at midnight. The tradition first began in 1907. The original ball was made of iron and wood and weighed 700 pounds; the current ball is made of Waterford Crystal, weighs 1,070 pounds, and is six feet in diameter. There are over 9,000 LED lights, but uses hardly any energy. The ball was not lowered in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime restrictions


New Year is the oldest of all holidays, as it was first observed in ancient Babylon as many as 4000 years ago.

Celebrating New Year on January 1 is purely arbitrary, as neither it has agricultural significance nor astronomical. Many countries still celebrate it in spring, the season of rebirth of new crops.

The Roman senate declared January 1 as the New Year in 153 BC. Though even this date saw major tampering, it was Julius Caesar who again declared January 1 in Julian calendar as the New Year, in 46 BC.

New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.

In various South American countries like Bolivia, Ecuador or Brazil, there is this tradition that has to due with yellow underwear. This means that you have to wear it immediately after midnight as it seems that yellow brings good luck. All women in Mexico who want to find their love in the new year have to wear red underwear.

In Denmark, it is a good sign when you find broken dishes in front of your door. Danish people specially keep a few plates that they break on New Year's Eve at their friends' doors. However, the tradition is no longer used.

In a small town in Chile, called Talca, visiting the graves of your dead relatives already became a tradition. On December 31, after dinner, a few members of the same family go to the cemetery, taking chairs and once they get there, they sit down and welcome the new year with all the dear ones that passed away. It is said that this tradition brings good luck. The tradition began in 1995 and now over 5,000 people have adopted it.

The first month of the year i.e. January has been named after God Janus (Latin word for door), in the Roman calendar. Janus is the God with two faces, one looking backwards and one forward, at the same time and marks the 'spirit of the opening'

The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve, by giving one another branches from sacred trees, for good fortune. The gift phenomenon is prevalent from those times, till date.

January 1 was revived as New Year in 1582, by the Gregorian calendar and so celebrated by most of the countries till date.

New Year is celebrated like a festival throughout the world and everyone around is in festive mood, partying, singing and dancing to ring out the old year and ring in the new.

In Britain, when the Big Ben clocks strikes 12, everyone gathers around to sing 'Auld Lang Syne', a Scottish song. It was written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, literally meaning "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days", to remember old and new friends.

It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck for the rest of the year, depending on who he/she was.

Many cultures believe that anything given or taken on New Year, in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle".

Many parts of the U.S. celebrate New Year by consuming black-eyed peas and other legumes, as it has been considered good luck in many cultures.

The tradition of making New Year resolution dates back to the early Babylonians.

People in Ecuador are used to make a scarecrow, which they dress up and fill it with newspapers and pieces of wood. At midnight, each family walks outside and burns the scarecrow. The tradition says that this destroys all the bad things that took place in the last 12 months and the new year can begin.

In Belgium, farmers are used to wish "Happy New Year!" to their animals in order to make sure that everything will work great in the new year.

Every Brazilian who wears white clothes on New Year's Eve will have a peaceful and successful year. Those who live next to the beach use to jump seven times into the waves, after midnight, and throw flowers in the water, while making a wish. It is said that this thing brings wealth.

The New Year in China, "Yuan Ti", is celebrated on January 17 and February 19. One of the most interesting manifestations is the Lantern Festival, in the 15th day of the new year, when thousands of lanterns lightened will illuminate the path towards the new year.

Traditionally, it was thought that people could alter the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. It has, therefore, become important to celebrate first day of the New Year in the company of family and friends.

The Spanish ritual on New Year's eve is to eat twelve grapes at midnight. The tradition is meant to secure twelve happy months in the coming year.

Who would be the first person to pass over the threshold of your home in the New Year? In England, one of the most interesting traditions is related to this specific aspect. English people believe that if the first guest is a tall man with dark hair, the new year will be full of happiness and achievements.

In Spain, the tradition says that exactly at midnight one should eat 12 grapes for each chime of the clock. The 12 grapes symbolize the months of the year and it is said to bring good luck and success in the new year.

In Japan, Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times. This tradition is called 'joya no kane' which means "bell rings on new year eve's night." The rings represent 108 sins, which is said people have in their mind and can commit. Listening to the 108 rings, the soul purifies.

In Sri Lanka, New Year's Eve is celebrated on April 13 or 14, based on the Hindu calendar. Sinhalese get their houses whitewashed and thoroughly cleaned to welcome the New Year. They light and decorate the house on the New Year's day as it is thought to be inauspicious decorating it before the New Year. Moreover, they prepare different sweets. The first dish they eat, which is also an old tradition of preparing Kiri Bhaat (milk rice) with rice from new crop. This is prepared by the father or the male head of the family.

Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year's Eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

Auld Lang Syne is sung at midnight to toast in the New Year. The song was composed by Robert Burns sometimes in the 1700's. The term means "old long ago" or "the good old days."