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New Year's Day

American  

noun

  1. January 1, celebrated as a holiday in many countries.


New Year's Day British  

noun

  1. Often (US and Canadian informal) shortened to: New Year's.  Jan 1, celebrated as a holiday in many countries

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of New Year's Day

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Ahead of the event, Pyrotecnico told AFP they were aiming to break the world record for the largest firework display, which was set on New Year's Day 2016 in the Philippines with around 810,000 fireworks.

From Barron's Jul. 6, 2026

Last year, the S&P 500 fell 4% between New Year’s Day and the end of April, before rallying hard through the summer.

From MarketWatch Apr. 29, 2026

Fast-forward to the 17th century, pretzels became commonplace in Germany, where necklaces adorned with the baked goods were worn by children on New Year’s Day to usher in good luck.

From Salon Apr. 28, 2026

The company has also graced the opening ceremonies of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and even performed at 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day for the prince of Morocco in 1978.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 24, 2026

On New Year’s Day in 1772, Jefferson married twenty-three-year-old Martha Wayles Skelton, daughter of John Wayles, an immigrant from England who had become a wealthy farmer, lawyer, and slave trader.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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