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85 New Year's Trivia Questions and Answers

Reviewed by Aleesha Rubinstein, Editor·Updated Oct 2026·11 min read

85 New Year's trivia questions and answers covering Times Square, global traditions, holiday foods, Auld Lang Syne, and more. Multiple choice with answers included.

New Years Trivia

From the glittering ball drop in Times Square to the 12 grapes eaten at midnight in Spain, New Year's celebrations are packed with fascinating traditions, history, and surprising facts.

Whether you are hosting a trivia night, looking for party conversation starters, or just curious about how the world rings in January 1, these 85 questions cover everything from ancient Babylonian festivals to modern-day polar bear plunges.

  1. 1What date is New Year's Day in the Gregorian calendar?

  2. 2What is the evening of December 31 commonly called?

  3. 3What song is traditionally sung at midnight on New Year's Eve?

  4. 4In which city does the famous New Year's Eve ball drop take place?

  5. 5What is the most common category of New Year's resolution in the United States?

  6. 6What do people in the Southern United States traditionally eat on New Year's Day for good luck?

  7. 7What is the name of the televised New Year's Eve special that has aired on ABC since 1972?

  8. 8What beverage do people traditionally use to toast at midnight on New Year's Eve?

  9. 9The Tournament of Roses Parade takes place on New Year's Day in which California city?

  10. 10Which college football game is associated with the Tournament of Roses?

  11. 11Which Roman god is the month of January named after?

  12. 12What is Janus traditionally depicted as having?

  13. 13Approximately how many people gather in Times Square for the ball drop each New Year's Eve?

  14. 14What color do people in Brazil traditionally wear on New Year's Eve?

  15. 15In which country do people eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve?

  16. 16What falls from the sky in Times Square at midnight alongside the ball dropping?

  17. 17What is a polar bear plunge?

  18. 18In which U.S. city does the famous Mummers Parade take place on New Year's Day?

  19. 19Who introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582?

  20. 20What do many people make on New Year's Day as personal promises to improve themselves?

  21. 21Chinese New Year is based on what type of calendar?

  22. 22What does the phrase 'Auld Lang Syne' roughly translate to in English?

  23. 23Who is the current primary host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on ABC?

  24. 24Has New Year's Day been a U.S. federal holiday since 1870?

  25. 25What do the Japanese ring 108 times at Buddhist temples on New Year's Eve?

  26. 26What is the Scottish tradition called when the first person enters your home after midnight on New Year's?

  27. 27In which decade did the tradition of dropping a ball in Times Square begin?

  28. 28What shape of food is considered lucky to eat on New Year's in many cultures?

  29. 29Sydney, Australia is known for its New Year's Eve fireworks display over which iconic landmarks?

  30. 30What historical leader changed New Year's Day to January 1 in the Roman calendar?

  31. 31What year was the first Times Square New Year's Eve ball dropped?

  32. 32How much does the current Times Square New Year's Eve ball weigh?

  33. 33The current Times Square ball is covered in panels made of what luxury material?

  34. 34Who originally wrote the lyrics to 'Auld Lang Syne'?

  35. 35In what year did Robert Burns write 'Auld Lang Syne'?

  36. 36Which bandleader's annual radio broadcast from New York helped cement 'Auld Lang Syne' as a New Year's Eve tradition?

  37. 37In what year did Julius Caesar reform the Roman calendar and set January 1 as the start of the new year?

  38. 38What was the ancient Babylonian New Year festival called?

  39. 39How many days did the Babylonian Akitu festival typically last?

  40. 40When did England officially adopt January 1 as the start of the new year?

  41. 41In Spain, what must you do with the 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve?

  42. 42What do people in Ecuador burn at midnight on New Year's Eve?

  43. 43In which country is there a tradition of throwing old dishes and plates at friends' doors on New Year's Eve?

  44. 44In Colombia, what do people carry around the block on New Year's Eve hoping for travel in the coming year?

  45. 45What do many Filipinos wear and display on New Year's to attract prosperity?

  46. 46How many Waterford crystal triangles cover the current Times Square ball?

  47. 47How many LEDs light up the current Times Square New Year's Eve ball?

  48. 48The Rose Bowl football game was first played in what year?

  49. 49The Tournament of Roses Parade was first held in what year?

  50. 50Which New York City beach is home to the most famous New Year's Day polar bear plunge?

  51. 51In what year was the Coney Island Polar Bear Club founded?

  52. 52Dick Clark first hosted 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' in what year?

  53. 53Approximately how many glasses of sparkling wine do Americans consume on New Year's Eve?

  54. 54About how many pounds of confetti are dropped in Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve?

  55. 55According to research, roughly what percentage of people successfully keep their New Year's resolutions for the entire year?

  56. 56Which 1989 romantic comedy features a memorable New Year's Eve scene at a party?

  57. 57Edinburgh's massive New Year's celebration is known by what Scottish name?

  58. 58What do the 108 bells rung at Japanese Buddhist temples on New Year's Eve represent?

  59. 59Which Southern U.S. side dish, often served alongside black-eyed peas on New Year's, is thought to represent money?

  60. 60What food do many Germans eat on New Year's Day for good luck?

  61. 61In what year did the Gregorian calendar officially replace the Julian calendar?

  62. 62Before the ball drop tradition began, how did Times Square celebrate New Year's Eve at midnight?

  63. 63What is the name of the building atop which the Times Square ball is dropped?

  64. 64Which Pacific island nation is currently the first place in the world to ring in the New Year due to its time zone?

  65. 65What month did the Roman calendar originally begin before Julius Caesar's reform?

  66. 66How tall is the current Times Square New Year's Eve ball in diameter?

  67. 67What was the original error in the Julian calendar that caused it to drift from the solar year over centuries?

  68. 68What were the 'strenae' in ancient Roman New Year celebrations?

  69. 69How many waves do Brazilians traditionally jump over in the ocean on New Year's Eve?

  70. 70What is the tradition behind jumping seven waves in Brazilian New Year celebrations?

  71. 71In what year did Dick Clark suffer the stroke that limited his hosting appearances on New Year's Rockin' Eve?

  72. 72What is the nickname given to the Rose Bowl football game?

  73. 73Vienna's annual New Year's Concert, broadcast worldwide, is performed by which orchestra?

  74. 74What famous waltz always closes the Vienna New Year's Concert before the traditional encore?

  75. 75What did the Babylonians promise their gods during the Akitu festival?

  76. 76In the Scottish first-footing tradition, what should the first visitor ideally bring to the home after midnight?

  77. 77Which U.S. city was known for dropping a giant peach instead of a ball on New Year's Eve?

  78. 78Before Kiribati adjusted its time zone in 1995, which Pacific island nation was traditionally among the first to celebrate the New Year?

  79. 79In Japan, what traditional collection of symbolic dishes is eaten during the first three days of the New Year?

  80. 80Which 1972 disaster film takes place during a New Year's Eve celebration on a cruise ship?

  81. 81What Italian tradition involves eating lentils on New Year's Eve because they resemble coins and symbolize prosperity?

  82. 82What New Year's tradition in the Netherlands involves eating oliebollen?

  83. 83What ancient civilization held its New Year celebrations tied to the first new moon after the vernal equinox?

  84. 84Ryan Seacrest began co-hosting New Year's Rockin' Eve alongside Dick Clark in what year?

  85. 85What Greek tradition involves hanging an onion on the front door on New Year's Eve?

Answer Key

  1. 1. January 1
  2. 2. New Year's Eve
  3. 3. Auld Lang Syne
  4. 4. New York City, in Times Square
  5. 5. Health and fitness, such as exercising more or losing weight
  6. 6. Black-eyed peas
  7. 7. Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
  8. 8. Champagne or sparkling wine
  9. 9. Pasadena
  10. 10. The Rose Bowl
  11. 11. Janus, the god of beginnings and doorways
  12. 12. Two faces, one looking forward and one looking backward
  13. 13. About one million
  14. 14. White
  15. 15. Spain
  16. 16. Confetti
  17. 17. Jumping into cold water, usually the ocean, on New Year's Day
  18. 18. Philadelphia
  19. 19. Pope Gregory XIII
  20. 20. New Year's resolutions
  21. 21. A lunisolar calendar
  22. 22. Old long since, meaning days gone by
  23. 23. Ryan Seacrest
  24. 24. Yes, Congress designated it a federal holiday in 1870
  25. 25. Bells, in a tradition called joya no kane
  26. 26. First-footing
  27. 27. The 1900s, specifically in 1907
  28. 28. Round, symbolizing coins or completeness
  29. 29. Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House
  30. 30. Julius Caesar
  31. 31. 1907
  32. 32. About 11,875 pounds
  33. 33. Waterford crystal
  34. 34. Robert Burns, the Scottish poet
  35. 35. 1788
  36. 36. Guy Lombardo
  37. 37. 46 BCE
  38. 38. Akitu
  39. 39. About 11 to 12 days
  40. 40. 1752, with the Calendar (New Style) Act
  41. 41. Eat one grape with each of the 12 midnight bell chimes
  42. 42. Effigies called 'año viejo,' representing the old year
  43. 43. Denmark
  44. 44. Empty suitcases
  45. 45. Round things — polka-dot clothing and round fruits
  46. 46. 2,688
  47. 47. 32,256
  48. 48. 1902
  49. 49. 1890
  50. 50. Coney Island
  51. 51. 1903
  52. 52. 1972
  53. 53. About 360 million
  54. 54. About 3,000 pounds
  55. 55. About 9 to 12 percent
  56. 56. When Harry Met Sally
  57. 57. Hogmanay
  58. 58. The 108 earthly desires or worldly passions in Buddhist belief
  59. 59. Collard greens or other leafy greens
  60. 60. Pork and sauerkraut
  61. 61. 1582, in Catholic countries first
  62. 62. With rooftop fireworks, which the city banned in 1907 for safety reasons
  63. 63. One Times Square, originally the New York Times building
  64. 64. Kiribati, specifically its Line Islands at UTC+14
  65. 65. March
  66. 66. 12 feet
  67. 67. It overestimated the year by about 11 minutes, causing a drift of roughly one day every 128 years
  68. 68. Gifts exchanged on January 1 as tokens of good luck for the new year
  69. 69. Seven
  70. 70. Each wave represents a wish or offering to Iemanjá, the sea goddess of Afro-Brazilian tradition
  71. 71. 2004
  72. 72. The Granddaddy of Them All
  73. 73. The Vienna Philharmonic
  74. 74. The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II
  75. 75. To repay debts and return borrowed goods
  76. 76. Gifts of coal, bread, salt, and whisky — for warmth, food, flavor, and good cheer
  77. 77. Atlanta, Georgia
  78. 78. Tonga
  79. 79. Osechi-ryōri
  80. 80. The Poseidon Adventure
  81. 81. Eating cotechino con lenticchie — pork sausage with lentils
  82. 82. Oliebollen are deep-fried dough balls, similar to doughnuts, traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve
  83. 83. The Babylonians
  84. 84. 2006
  85. 85. The onion symbolizes rebirth and growth in the new year, and in some regions children are tapped on the head with it on New Year's morning

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