The day we call New Year's Day — January 1 — has a longer history than you might think. About 2,000 years ago, the Roman ruler Julius Caesar decided to fix the old calendar and chose January as the first month. Many centuries later, in 1582, Pope Gregory made a few small changes — and that calendar, the Gregorian calendar, is the one most of the world uses today.

For Chinese families, the most important "new year" is still the Lunar New Year in February. But January 1 is a special day too — a chance to look back on the year that just ended, and to make a quiet promise to yourself for the year that is starting.

People all over the world celebrate New Year's Eve with fireworks, music, and watching the clock count down from ten. Some kiss someone they love at midnight. Some write a list of resolutions — things they will try to do better this year. Some just go to bed early and hope tomorrow is a better day. It's all part of the same simple idea: every year, every person, can start fresh.

1 月 1 日這一天比想像中還要古老。約兩千年前，羅馬統治者凱撒大帝改革曆法，把一月訂為第一個月。十六世紀，教宗格雷格里十三世微調，成為今日全世界通用的「格里曆」。對華人來說，最重要的新年仍是農曆春節，但 1 月 1 日這一天也很特別——它是回顧過去一年、許下新希望的時刻。各國都有跨年夜習俗：煙火、倒數、午夜時刻的擁抱、寫下新年計畫。或者，也有人乾脆早睡，希望明天會更好。共同的精神都一樣——每個人，每一年，都能重新開始。