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==Summary==
Many cultures have a variety of ways to celebrate the New Year. In the West, celebrations have, over the last 150 years, developed around parties or gatherings at specific places such as Saint Paul's cathedral or what became Times Square. These events influenced other parties and gatherings as Western societies slowly secularized their celebrations during the 19th and 20th century. In Asian and non-Western states, many traditions go back centuries or longer, with traditional calendars still used to mark the holiday. Even in countries that have monotheistic faiths, ancient calendars that celebrated the gods are still used. In many of these traditions, similar to the West, gatherings of families and friends is common, with remembrances of those lost as well as others often a key theme in gatherings. Foods and celebrations were often about also looking forward to the New Year and hoping it will be better than the last. In many ways, this is similar to some of the earliest New Year celebrations that looked forward to a bountiful harvest and prosperity in the New Year.
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