The Magic of New Year's Eve
"Happy New Year!" That greeting will be said and heard for the next few weeks as a new year gets underway. Magic and the new year go together as the art of magic dates back nearly 4,000 years and the celebration of the new year is the oldest holiday, being first observed in ancient Babylon about 4,000 years ago.
Midnight is the magical hour. It is a time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the new one. Gala celebrations and resolutions will abound; promises of betterment or improvement will be made; dreams and hopes will come to the forefront.
As we count down to January 1, 2002 and then sing “Auld Lang Syne,” we’ll boast about our New Year’s Resolutions. We’ll announce with all the authority we can muster that we’re going to eliminate pounds and drinking, pay more attention to work and focus on exercising. The “me” resolutions that in a matter of months will be forgotten and we’ll feel awful about ourselves.
Siegfried & Roy make these promises but they also set higher goals…declarations that let them finish the year feeling good about them. “We never look back. It’s always straight ahead for us,” says Siegfried. “Our lives have been filled with fond memories and we know the future will bring us plenty more.”
"The future is making dreams into reality," said Roy. "We have so many ideas, hopes and dreams yet to realize. As for resolutions, I promise to care for our planet and to help nature prosper. I will continue to live life to the fullest and build a legacy for everyone to share and enjoy." "I resolve to continue to make magic the most elusive and inexplicable of wonders," adds Siegfried. "I want to see a world of peace and happiness, of good health and prosperity."
Las Vegas is home to one of our country’s biggest New Year’s parties. Two hundred thousand-plus people fill the streets to celebrate the current year ending and the beginning of a new one. At The Mirage, Siegfried & Roy will host a special New Year's Eve performance to a standing-room-only audience.
While the Magicians of the Century’s gala will have noise makers, streamers and champagne, other cultures observe unique customs to welcome the New Year. On New Year’s Eve in Spain, it is good luck to eat 12 grapes at midnight. In Italy, marinated squid is eaten for good luck.
In Germany, Siegfried & Roy’s homeland, people leave a bit of food on their plate until after midnight as a way of ensuring a well-stocked larder. Carp is always included on the menu, as it is thought to bring good luck. While many parts of America celebrate by eating black-eyed peas, the Japanese begin to laugh when the New Year arrives, which is supposed to bring good luck. And, in China, 2002 will be the year of the horse.
Whatever the custom, most people share the same sentiment…with a New Year, we can expect a new life. We wish each other good luck and promise ourselves to do better. As for Roy, “I will trust and follow my inner intuition as I have all my life, knowing that I know better about myself than anyone else does.”
Siegfried & Roy, The Mirage and their entire staff, wish you all, a happy, healthy New Year!
