As the classic song goes: “What are you doing on New Year’s Eve?”
Maybe you’re watching the ball drop on TV, decked out in your 2026 glasses and armed with pots, pans and kazoos. Maybe you’re party hopping, dancing the night away, or hosting friends at your place. Either way, when the clock strikes 12, you’re probably bent on kissing everyone — or at least looking for someone to smoke.
Kissing the New Year is one of the most popular holidays around. It can be a sweet way to ring in the New Year with a partner, the slightly awkward result of too many glasses of champagne, or the thrilling start of a new romance.
Whichever way you go, it might be worth learning a little more about the history behind the customs, and how the whole kiss came about. Here’s a look at the story behind the New Year’s kiss tradition, plus some tips for making the most of it, should you choose to participate.
What is the origin of the New Year’s kiss?
The humorous tradition of starting the New Year with a smooch can be traced back to the winter solstice festival Saturnalia. In ancient Rome, Saturnalia was a mid-December pagan festival honoring the agricultural god Saturn. This celebration includes decorating homes with green colors, such as wreaths, grand Eid, gift giving, and socializing with friends and family. Sound familiar?
That said, Saturnalia wasn’t entirely innocent. It also includes relaxation of social norms, public sacrifice, and non-stop partying. “For many people, that involved a few too many alcoholic drinks,” explains etiquette expert Joe Hess. “That said, a fair amount of PDA — including kissing.”
Eventually, Saturnalia was integrated into the 12-day long Christian celebration of Christmas, which traditionally runs through the New Year. However, the vibe found no tamer – in fact, in medieval times, the season was believed to be as wild as it had been in pagan times, with public drunkenness and debauchery galore. “In medieval Europe, the tradition of kissing evolved from mosque balls where the midnight sun was broken by a kiss to purify a kiss and thus secure a year of good luck.” “The kiss became a means of protection from loneliness or tragedy, and of guaranteeing a new beginning in love and intimacy.”
Another festival, Hogmay, still celebrated today, is the Scottish equivalent of a New Year’s celebration, complete with socializing, dancing, and singing “Old Lang Seine” (written by Scottish writer Robert Burns). In this celebration, people will wish each other a “Good New Year” with warmth and kisses to lovers, friends, and strangers as a way to embrace the new beginning.
