Holidays and Observances on January 1

Welcome to January 1, the very first day of the year, a global date packed with fresh beginnings, traditional street spectacles, and cozy morning-after customs! While today is globally famous for countdowns and resolutions, our calendar is packed with iconic events like Philadelphia's historic Mummers Parade, and also spotlights unique traditions like Apple Gifting Day, First-Foot Day, and the World Day of Peace.

The drink of the day is a Bloody Mary, for those who indulged too much during their New Year's Eve Celebration the night before! Dive into our comprehensive daily guide below to explore all the delicious food days, historic state anniversaries, and cultural observances that make this kickoff date so remarkable!

 Holidays and Observances
(Alphabetical Order)

2027 Daily Holidays that fall on January 1, include: (Alpha)

• January 1: Apple Gifting Day

• January 1: Bonza Bottler Day

• January 1: Commitment Day

• January 1: Copyright Law Day

• January 1: Ellis Island Day

• January 1: Euro Day

• January 1: First-Foot Day

• January 1: Global Family Day

• January 1: Haitian Independence Day

• January 1: National Bloody Mary Day

• January 1: National Hangover Day

• January 1: National Shepherd Day

• January 1: New Year's Day

• January 1: New Year's Dishonor List Day

• January 1: Polar Bear Plunge or Swim Day

• January 1: Public Domain Day

• January 1: Ring a Bell Day

• January 1: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Catholic)

• January 1: St. Basil's Day (In Eastern Churches)

• January 1: Sudan Independence Day

• January 1: Triumph of the Revolution (Also Known as Liberation Day)

• January 1: Universal Hour of Peace

• January 1: World Day of Peace

• January 1: Z Day

2027 Weekly Holidays that include January 1, are: (Alpha)

• January 1-7: Celebration of Life Week 

• December 14, 2026 - January 5, 2027: Christmas Bird Count Week 

• January 1-7: Diet Resolution Week 

• December 16, 2026 - January 1, 2027: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over (Winter Enforcement)  

• January 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2027: Fido's Freebie Friday (Every Friday in January)

• Evening of December 26, 2026 - January 1, 2027: Kwanzaa 

• January 1-7: National Time Consciousness Week (Philippines)

• January 1-8:  New Years' Resolution Week

• January 1-7: Silent Record Week

• November 26, 2026, through January 1, 2027: Tie One on for Safety Campaign (Thanksgiving to New Years Day)

2027 Monthly Holidays that include January 1, are:

There are too many monthly holidays to include here, so please check out my January Holidays page to see all of the holidays that are celebrated the entire month of January.

NOTE:

1. Pages will be linked up below when completed.
2. If a date is a movable holiday, that is different every year, I'll include the year as well as the date rule above. Otherwise, the holiday falls on the same date each year.

World Festivals and Events
(Date Order)

• December 21, 2026 - February 21, 2027: Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival: Usually starts annually on January 5, and typically runs for a month or more, in Harbin, China and is the largest ice and snow festival in the world! 2026/2027 dates are a soft opening on December 21, 2026, with the Official Grand Opening on January 5 to the closing of the park on February 21. 

• January 1: Mummers Parade

• January 1, 2027: Rose Bowl Game (Never on a Sunday Tradition)

• January 1, 2027: Rose Parade (also known as Tournament of Roses Parade) (Never on a Sunday Tradition)

• January 1-5, 2027: The World Series of Beer Pong (Held in the Las Vegas, Nevada area)

Astrological Sign

The Astrological Sign for January 1 is a Capricorn.

Birth Flower of the Month

The Birth Flower(s) for the Month for January are:

• Carnation - The Carnation is the Birth Flower for January. The symbolization of the Carnation means love, pride, beauty, purity, distinction, fascination, and loyal.
• Snowdrop is a white flower with three small petals in the middle surrounded by three larger petals on the outside. The symbolization of the snowdrop means love, fascination, and purity.

See our GARDEN HOLIDAYS page for all the special days celebrating things of the garden!

Birthstone

The Birthstone for January is Garnet, which comes in a rainbow of colors. It is considered a great gift to symbolize friendship and trust.

Famous Birthdays

• 1735-1818 - Paul Revere, Patriot in the American Revolutionary War
• 1752-1836 - Betsy Ross, seamstress who designed the first U.S. Flag
• 1895-1972 - J. Edgar Hoover, FBI Director from 1924-1972

Famous Deaths

• 1782 - Johann Christian Bach, German composer (b. 1735)
• 1953 - Hank Williams, American singer and songwriter (Drifting Cowboys) (b. 1923)
• 1968 - Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, American publisher who founded DC Comics (b. 1890)

Famous Weddings and Divorces

• 1772 - Founding Father of the United States, Thomas Jefferson marries Martha Wayles Skelton
• 1824 - US President James Knox Polk marries Sarah Childress
• 1989 - Actor Leonard Nimoy marries actress Susan Bay
• 1994 - Microsoft CEO Bill Gates marries Melinda French

Quote of the Day

Every Day is a new start! And every year is a new start! If you don't like something in your life, change it! If you don't like something in your personality, work to change it! Every day we are blessed with the ability to create our life the way we want it to be.  Sure there are struggles, problems, and road bumps along the way, but each day, put the past behind you and work towards the life that you want to have!

One of my favorite Quotes is "Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow, Embrace Today". This would be great for everyone to learn to do every day!

Healthy Diet Habit Tip of the Day 
or a Recipe of the Day

Slow Cooker Chili Recipe made by Kerry, of Healthy Diet Habits.

A perfect healthy meal that can be fixed ahead of time. You can use this for dipping chips, while watching the games on January 1. Click the link above for the recipe, on Kerry's Healthy Diet Habits website.

Season

January 1st falls within the Winter Season in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Winter is one of the four seasons. It follows the Fall Season, and is before the Spring Season. It is the coldest and darkest season in the Northern Hemisphere. It also starts in one year, and ends in the next, so it straddles two different years. 

Check out our Winter Season page for information about Winter, Winter Dates, Major Winter Holidays and Observances, Major Winter Festivals, Fun Facts About Winter, Winter Food Tips, Winter Gardening, Winter Preparation, Winter Quotes, and Winter Weather Information.

Kerry has put together some great information and tips on winter foods: 

• Winter Foods
• Winter Weight Gain
• Winter Weight Loss Tips

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, this day falls in the Summer Season. 

• Summer
• Summer Cooking 
• Summer Weight Loss Tips 

This Day in History

Below are some of the big historical events that happened on January 1:

• 1 - Origin of Christian Era
• 1776 - General George Washington hoists Continental Union Flag
• 1861 - President Lincoln declares slavery in the Confederate states unlawful
• 1862 - 1st US income tax (3% of incomes > $600, 5% of incomes > $10,000)
• 1863 - Lincoln signs Emancipation Proclamation
• 1880 - Building of the Panama Canal begins
• 1886 - 1st Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California
• 1892 - Ellis Island becomes reception center for new immigrants to the United States
  
• 1908 - 1st time, ball signifying the New Year is dropped at Times Square in New York City
  
• 1913 - Post office begins parcel post deliveries
• 1934 - Alcatraz officially becomes a federal prison
• 1942 - United Nations is created by 26 nations who agreed to sign a declaration to create a peace keeping organization.
• 1948 - 1st color newsreel filmed in Pasadena, California
• 1959 - Batista forced out by Castro-led revolution
• 1962 - United States Navy SEAL's are established
• 1971 - Cigarette advertisements banned on TV
• 1985 - 1st mandatory seat belt law in the United States, goes into effect in New York
• 1998 - The European Central Bank is established
• 2007 - Adam Air Flight 574 vanishes over the Sulawesi Straight in Indonesia with 102 people on board
• 2017 - A nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey is attacked by terrorists during the New Year's celebrations killing 39 people and injuring more than 60 people
• 2023 - Croatia becomes the 20th Eurozone Country to officially adopt the Euro and join the Schengen Area, an area of 27 European Countries that have abolished all types of border control including passports at their mutual borders

This Day in Music

• 1960 - Johnny Cash plays the 1st of many free concerts behind bars
• 1966 - Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" reaches #1

Live in Central Park in New York in 2009

This Day in Sports

Below are just a few of the many great Sports Events or accomplishments that happened on January 1:

• 1935 - 1st Orange Bowl
  
• 1935 - 1st Sugar Bowl
  
• 1977 - Tony Dorsett runs for a record 202 yards in the Sugar Bowl

Word of the Day from Wiktionary

Wishing You a Great Day!