Why are kisses exchanged on the night of the change of years?

So how did this become a tradition of New Year's Eve worldwide? And who started it?

Lucky in Love

Many of us await New Year's Eve with a kiss because we're superstitious, says Joane Wanna, author of Kissory: A Sweet and Sexy Look at the History of Kissing. This ritual is similar to the four-letter surf collection on St. Patrick's Day: we believe it brings good luck. But when you kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve, some people in particular want him to be lucky in love.

How did superstition begin?

Historians can follow the New Year's Eve by returning to three historical ages - the Romans ' Festival of Saturn, an old Scocze festival called Hogmanay and English or German folklore.

Saturnalia - An Extension of Winter Solstic

The Romans celebrated Saturnina on the longest and darkest night of the year. While Winter Solstice occurs several days before New Year's night, it is a sure bet that the rich and harsh Romans participated for several days.

According to Britannica.com, Saturnalia was the largest and most vicious festival festival of the Roman festivals. Even the captive people were free to celebrate, and those attending festivals throughout the year were relaxed over normal moral and social rules. The violation of the rules likely leads to a romantic test or two, thus spreading the notion that Saturnalia é late in the year is an excellent time to kiss. How about your final tradition of a bottle of champagne coming out at midnight? You may also blame Saturnalia.

Hogmanany: A Viking Festival

Nobody seems to know where the word “Hogmanany” came from. In spite of its origin, it is a very old word used today to describe the last day of the year in Scotland. Pagan roots and Vikings of the Hogmanaya holiday suggest it was a winter festival before Christmas centered in friendship and with the people you love. Sounds like New Year's Eve, doesn't it?

According to Scotland.org, the “A significant element of Hogmanany celebrations is to welcome friends and foreigners, with warm hospitality and of course a kiss to congratulate everyone in New Year's Square. Although old Scots kissed everyone on New Year's Eve, modern celebrations have narrowed the theme of kissing, only for partners.

Folk connection

According to Entaining from Rome Ancient to the Super Bowl: A encyclopedia edited by Melitta Weiss Adamson and Francine Segan, English and German folklore spread the belief that the person you first contact for the new year will have a direct impact on the fate of that year. Kissing a boyfriend or a partner is the perfect way to keep the old superstition and folklore on your arm.

Although we will never know the exact moment when the kiss of New Year's night became a tradition, it is easy to see how Saturnalia, Hogmanaya and English folklore influenced our New Year's holidays today.