The Dark History of New Year's Traditions: Slaps, Spies, and Sacrifices

Think your New Year's resolution is tough? Try being an ancient king who had to be slapped until he cried. While we toast to a fresh start on this December 31, 2025, history tells a story of doom, humiliation, and terror. According to Mental Floss, New Year's Day hasn't always been about fireworks and champagne.

Exploring the Dark History of New Year's Traditions

The earliest recorded celebration, Akitu, dates back 4,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. The festival lasted 12 days, but the fifth day was a nightmare for the monarch. A high priest would strip the king of his regalia and slap him with enough force to draw tears. Heavy sobbing was seen as a good omen for the coming year, proving the king's humility before the gods.

In Japan, a demon known as Kanbari Nyūdō allegedly haunted bathrooms on New Year's Eve. Recorded in a 1779 compendium, this ghost would spy on people using the toilet. Those who didn't recite a specific protective chant risked being cursed with constipation. This legend likely served as a stark reminder of hygiene and bathroom etiquette in early Japanese society.

From Plantation Panic to NASA's Software Bug

For enslaved people in the 19th-century United States, January 1 was known as 'Hiring Day' or 'Heartbreak Day.' It was the standard date for settling debts, which often meant selling slaves to new owners. Families were routinely torn apart on the very day others celebrated renewal. It wasn't until the 1863Emancipation Proclamation that this grim tradition began to fade.

Even modern technology struggled with the calendar rollover. During the 135 missions of the NASA Space Shuttle program between 1981 and 2011, no shuttle was ever in flight on New Year's Day. The onboard computers would count December 31 as Day 365 but fail to reset, calling the next day Day 366 instead of Day 1. To avoid this 'year-end rollover' bug, missions were meticulously scheduled to stay on the ground during the transition.