Celebrating the New Year in Uniquely American Ways

New Year's Eve celebrations elicit the sounds of popping champagne corks, watching a glittering ball drop in Times Square, and what usually turns out to be a plethora of optimistic, if not unrealistic, resolutions.

It wasn't always this way. From the forgotten tradition of the president hosting lavish parties, to revelers filling the streets – and air – with gunfire, Americans through the decades have made the ancient tradition of celebrating a new year uniquely their own.