Babylon
The Babylonians first celebrated the new year for 11 days. During this festival the King was stripped of his clothes and sent away, and the people did as they pleased. Toward the end of the festival, the King would return in a parade or procession of grand stature wearing fine robes and garments. The people would then have to return back to work and act properly. Each New Year, people made a new start.

The Celts
The Celts celebrated their New Year, Samhain, at the end of October. At Samhain, people put up mistletoe to keep ghosts away because they believed this was the time the dead returned to haunt the living.

Egypt
The new year was celebrated at the time of the flooding of the Nile, which was at the end of September. The flood was important for the growth and planting of the crops in the desert. At this time the statues of Amon and his family were taken up the Nile by boat. Singing, dancing and feasting were done for one month, and then the statues were taken back down the Nile.

Rome
January was named for the Roman god Janus, who had two heads, one to look back at the year past and one to look forward to the New Year. The Roman festival Calends had people decorating their homes and giving gifts. Slaves and masters ate and drank together during the festival, and people did as they wanted throughout.