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There are a lot of beliefs and customs worldwide surrounding New Year’s Day. In some cultures, eating round foods such as doughnuts is considered good luck (a tradition we can completely get on board with!), while here in the United States, black-eyed peas, ham, and greens or cabbage are the preferred lucky fare. Many countries in Europe call the holiday “Silvester,” in honor of Pope Sylvester I who died on December 31st, 335 A.D. The tradition of firecrackers and noisemakers, seen the world over, was started in order to scare away evil spirits and ensure good luck for the new year. The celebration of New Year’s Day dates back about 4000 years, and the very first celebration wasn’t actually in January (and still isn’t, in some cultures!) — it was in March.
No matter what you believe or how you celebrate, though, one thing is true: there’s no better way to ring in a new year than spending quality time with people you love. And even if your little ones aren’t old enough to stay awake until midnight when the date officially changes over, you can make them feel like part of the festivities by snuggling up and reading one of these New Year’s books for kids. Who knows — maybe these books will become a part of your family’s yearly tradition, right along with the black-eyed peas and doughnuts!
A version of this article was published in 2022.
Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas
Shanté Keys is looking forward to Grandma’s traditional New Year’s Day feast. But Grandma forgot the most important part – the black-eyed peas! They’re the luckiest food of the entire spread, so Shanté set out to find some. (There’s a recipe for Grandma’s “Hoppin’ John” in the book too!)
Snow Horses: A First Night Story
Written by Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winning artist Micha Archer, this gorgeous book features unique cut-paper art. It tells the tale of two black horses who take a celebratory New Year’s Eve sleigh ride with friends and neighbors in the snow … and eagerly wait to bid hello to the first morning of the new year.
The Night Before New Year’s
Part of Natasha Wing’s bestselling “The Night Before” series, this book is just as cute as the rest! The whole family is getting ready for the New Year with festive party hats and sparkly streamers — but the little ones are getting sleepier as the minutes tick by. Will they make it to midnight?
We All Celebrate the New Year
This feline favorite follows Lindy the Cat on a trip around the world to see how other countries (and cats!) celebrate the dawning of a new year.
Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution
In this book, Squirrel is determined to make a New Year’s resolution this year — but first, she has to learn exactly what that means. So she does, with the help of all her friends in the forest. Now if she could just think of a resolution of her own …
The Lucky Grapes: A New Year’s Eve Story
It’s Rafa’s first opportunity to spend New Year’s Eve with his family at the celebración on the plaza, but when he learns about the Spanish tradition of eating one grape for every chime of the clock at midnight, he’s a little nervous. This charming story, written in rhyme, is sprinkled with Spanish words and traditions for a multicultural reading experience.
Meet January
Written by a former first-grade teacher, The Calendar Kids book series helps kids connect the months of the year with the associated events, facts, and weather that make each month unique. (There’s even a kid-friendly recipe for each month!) In the first book of the series, we meet January, who is struggling to get back to school after winter break (relatable!). She wants to see her friends and wish them a Happy New Year, but she doesn’t like walking to school in the cold and gets a dose of the winter blues. Luckily, she has her friends to help her!
Happy New Year, Spot!
Beloved children’s character Spot isn’t old enough to stay up until midnight, but no matter — he’s determined to celebrate New Year’s Eve anyway!
P. Bear’s New Year’s Party
P. Bear is having a fancy New Year’s party — and little ones can practice counting as they greet his well-dressed animal friends.
Freedom Soup
In this joyful picture book, Ti Gran is teaching her granddaughter Belle the New Year’s tradition of making Freedom Soup, a custom dating back to the Haitian Revolution. As they dance, clap, and prepare the New Year feast, Ti Gran teaches Belle about much more than just soup.
Happy New Year! Through My Little Eye
Happy New Year! Through My Little Eye is the interactive holiday story we didn’t know we needed. This New Year’s Eve book — that also has a fun and engaging “I Spy” element — is the perfect activity to help your kiddo make it all the way until midnight (Or until you pull up that, er, sped-up video of the ball drop).
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