New Year has a very significant role to play during New Year. There is a custom to represent New Year with a baby. This tradition began in Greece around 600 BC. People of Greece celebrated their God of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket.
They believed that baby symbolized annual rebirth of God Dionysus. And that baby portrays spirit of fertility. New Year Baby also depicted rejuvenation, happiness and exuberance. The early Egyptians also used baby parade on the eve of New Year.
Even the New Year itself is given the personification of a baby at its beginning. New Year Baby is usually shown in diaper with a sash around his torso to represent the current year. This New Year Baby gradually, although small in the beginning of the year, gradually grows up into matured bearded man at end of the year and hands over his duties to the approaching New Year Baby.
New Year Baby hence, plays a vital role in almost every country of the world. All around the globe, this tradition of parading New Year Baby is followed with great enthusiasm and vitality. Initially, Christians objected to this custom calling it pagan. However, later on even they accepted the tradition and followed it. Long banners depicting New Year Baby, in diapers and a smile is put up on New Year Eve. And this was brought to America by Germans who used this effigy since the fourteenth century.
