"Editor's note: This post has been updated. Read the original post here. For those following the Gregorian calendar, and that's most of us, that magic moment when the old year ends in the last seconds of 11:59 on December 31 and the new begins at midnight on January 1 is celebrated with music, fireworks, noise makers, parties, and a kiss."
"For upper-class Brooklynites, New Year's Day was the day everyone went visiting, going from house to house to offer good cheer for the New Year. This was especially true of the ladies. For many, it was a great social coup to be received in the home of one of Brooklyn's most prominent families. Imagine the finest townhouses and mansions decorated to the hilt, as everyone pulled out their fanciest wares to serve hors d'oeuvres and punch."
Brooklynites marked New Year at midnight with music, fireworks, noisemakers, parties, and a kiss, following the Gregorian calendar. January takes its name from Janus, the two-faced Roman god of gates, doors, and new beginnings. New Year's Day was one of four traditional holidays, but many lower- and working-class people often had to work unless given time off by a generous employer. Upper-class Brooklynites used New Year's Day for visiting, especially women seeking social recognition. Wealthy households displayed lavish decorations and served hors d'oeuvres and punch, while many visitors attended to observe the social elite rather than solely to socialize.
Read at Brownstoner
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