New Years Eve is a time for eating and drinking and partying and more drinking and… kissing. 

Whether you have a special someone to share a smooch with come midnight or whether you kiss a stranger, the NYE midnight kiss is a tradition which many people partake in. 

But have you ever wondered why we do this? Where did the tradition come from? Same. And we finally have some answers. 

It’s true, kissing someone is a nice way to start the new year. But the tradition is a bit deeper than “kissing is fun”. 

The tradition could date back to ancient Rome, where the Romans would hold parties every year full of kissing and alcohol – not much different to how we do things now. 

It is believed the New Years Eve kiss also has its roots in the Renaissance. Masquerade balls were popular across Europe and, according to Bustle, at midnight, people would remove their masks and kiss as a way of purifying each other from evil. It was a way of starting the new year with a clean slate.

New Year's Eve

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English and German folklore built on this idea, and spread the belief that a midnight kiss strengthens your relationships and sets the tone for the rest of the year. 

For a budding romance, it brings good luck and the promise of a fruitful relationship. If a couple celebrates together and doesn’t lock lips, it doesn’t bode well. 

For single people, the superstition was that not kissing anyone would bring you a year of loneliness. How cheery. 

New Year's Eve

But that’s not all. During Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year celebration, it is traditional to give a kiss to every person in the room. The idea is to connect friends and strangers and make sure the lonely single people don’t feel left out. 

We’re not sure about kissing everyone, but we’re all for kissing someone. This is one tradition, whatever it’s roots, we can happily get behind.

Or under. 

New Year's Eve

Images: Friends.

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