Where would we be without New Year’s? It is a holiday celebrated by almost everyone around the world (although not always on the same day). Still, most countries recognize January 1st as the start of the New Year and celebrations circle the Earth for those 24 hours. Here then are ten, fun New Year’s Eve questions and answers to help you pass the time until the first kiss of the New Year.

The Questions

1. Where on Earth Does the New Year first begin?

2. What the Dickens does Auld Lang Syne mean, anyway?

3. Was there a Year Zero?

4. Who hosted the premiere New Year’s Eve party for almost half a century until his death in 1977?

5. Who took up the previous answer’s torch in 1972 and continued the musical tradition for another 40 years with his New Year’s Rockin’ Eve shows?

6. Why do they drop a ceremonial ball in New York City?

7. What is the Number One resolution made by New Year’s Eve party goers?

8. Are Father Time and Baby New Year Related?

9. Name the three best songs about New Year’s in the last fifty years.

10. Finally, a New Year’s Puzzle - What in the blazes happened in 1961?

At the end of this year, Christmas will be on a Tuesday and, the following week, after seven days, New Year’s will also fall on a Tuesday. It seems obvious that this will always be the case but back in 1961, Christmas and New Year’s did not fall on the same day. Can you explain why?

...and Now for the Answers

1. Where on Earth Does the New Year first begin?

There are 40 time zones scattered across the globe, each with a different time for the beginning of the New Year. So, where exactly does the New Year begin on planet Earth? No, it’s not Greenwich, England, which actually sees their New Year occur a rather lengthy 14 hours after its first occurrence. Instead, the event transpires on the somewhat inaptly named Christmas Island in the South Pacific near Samoa.

2. What the Dickens does Auld Lang Syne mean, anyway?

Shame on you if you took the bait and attributed this phrase to that estimable writer of a Christmas Carol. No less than the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns, wrote this particular piece. It is easily arguable that it is the sung song of all time outpacing such hits as My Way, Stairway to Heaven and that new song by Justin Bieber. In any event, the phrase is merely a corruption of the words “old long since” and simply means “the days gone by.”

3. Was there a Year Zero?

No. Although I loved the movie, “Panic in the Year Zero,” the nomenclature for denoting the years before and after Jesus Christ’s birth never needed to include a year zero. Instead, a group of 6th century, Christian scholars picked a carefully considered, but somewhat arbitrary, year for the birth of Jesus and then started the calendar, both forwards and backwards from there.

4. Who hosted the premiere New Year’s Eve extravaganza for almost 50 years until his death in 1977?

Guy Lombardo. A Canadian by birth, Mr. Lombardo and his band, The Royal Canadians, defined the New Years’ experience for a dozen generations. For thirty years, they entertained at the Roosevelt Hotel and then moved for another two decades to the Waldorf Astoria. For most of those years, anyone who was anyone was seen at his annual performance.

5. Who took up Mr. Lombardo’s torch in 1972 and continued the musical tradition on January 1st for another 40 years with his New Year’s Rockin’ Eve shows?

Dick Clark. For decades, Mr. Clark seemed ageless as he hosted American Bandstand and one of the most popular ned of year celebrations in the world. In recent years, he was joined by other celebrity hosts and made his last appearance in 2011.

6. Why do they drop a ceremonial ball in New York City?

There is no particular reason other than that New York City has a flair for the dramatic. The ball drop was originally conceived as an advertising stunt by the first owner of the New York Times, Adolph Ochs, to celebrate the opening of his newspaper’s new headquarters at the Times Square location. The popularity of the annual event immediately overshadowed all other New Years events and it popularity remains undiminished. It is estimated that over 1.5 billion people watched the drop in 2011. The origins of the concept are rooted in the time balls used by 19th century navies to synchronize the clocks of their ships.

7. What is the Number One resolution made by New Year’s Eve partiers?

Survey says! To not make any more New Year’s resolutions. In particular, a survey by the respected New York City polling company, Dewey, Scrume and Howe, has repeatedly confirmed this fact over seven separate studies conducted since 2001. In a valuable aside, the lead pollster makes the observation that, in his estimation, many of the respondents, on the morrow, would likely make a different resolution, namely, “Lord, I’ll never drink again if you just let me stop throwing up.”

8. Are Father Time and Baby New Year Related?

No. Indisputably, not. Who would give such a thankless job to their own son? If you disagree, perhaps you live in one of the newly deregulated states of Oregon or Colorado? If so, then you may believe the popular mythology of a Baby New Year who, while wearing a diaper, top hat and sash, chronicles the course of human events until he becomes a decrepit old man and then hands his duties off to the next Baby. If so, keep smoking, and it will all make sense.

9. Name the three best New Year’s songs in the last twenty years.

Almost unbelievably, there is not a single one. A confession; when I started this list, I was sure I could answer this question without any problem. Now, as far as I’m concerned, there is no answer. Please, don’t bother me with that drivel from U2. It’s remarkable that modern bands and I include Elvis, Sinatra and the “Biebs,” have never bothered to celebrate the annual resurgence of the human spirit on every January 1. I hope, fervently, that someone, anyone, will address this serious inadequacy.

10. The Bonus Puzzle Explained - What happened in 1961?

They never do. Are you tired of scratching your head? Because nothing different transpired in 1961. EVERY YEAR, Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on different days of the week. The seven day difference referenced in the question applies to Christmas this year but New Year’s Day in the next one. DOH!