Different symbols mean different things to different people. Usually when a symbol becomes universally recognized it winds up on decorations and greeting cards for that particular time of year. Thanksgiving decorations and cards feature Turkeys, Halloween decorations and cards feature Jack-O-Lanterns, and Christmas cards usually have a nice big Christmas tree on them. New Year’s is no different and there are a variety of New Year’s symbols out there that when people see them they instantly think of a New Year’s celebration or just the coming of the new year. New Year’s symbols don’t need to be very specific since it is the concept of New Year’s that people are celebrating and not any specific event or person. For example, Santa Claus is widely associated with Christmas so much of the Christmas decorations and ornaments center around the image of Santa Claus. New Year’s symbols do not center around one place or one person although there is always an attempt to make the baby New Year a symbol or Father Time a symbol as well. But really the idea of an old man representing the old year and a baby representing the new year are just New Year’s symbols meant to represent the concept of the New Year’s celebration and there are a lot of New Year’s symbols people associate with New Years.

One of the more popular New Year’s symbols are the instruments used in the ringing in of the new year. If you see a picture of a party hat or a noise maker you usually associate them with the New Year’s celebration. These have become such New Year’s symbols that they now appear on much of the New Year’s merchandise we buy. Hats, napkins, paper plates, table cloths, and even New Year’s greeting cards all display images of party favors as a symbol of the biggest party night of the year for the entire world. Some of these New Year symbol even add paper streamers and confetti to the image as well to give it a true New Year’s look.

Perhaps no New Year symbol has taken on more momentum than the annual New Year’s ball of lights that seem to be dropping everywhere on New Year’s eve. The most famous, of course, is the ball of lights in Times Square in New York City but in recent years there has been a rash of celebrations in communities all over the world that involve the dropping of a ball of light. Some communities pull it off rather nicely while others may be better served watching the New York City celebration on television but it has become very obvious in the last few years that the New Year’s ball of light is becoming very popular and it is not going away any time soon.

Some New Year’s symbols are more subtle and to see how they are used the best place to see them is on greeting cards. A calendar turned to January is becoming a popular New Year symbol along with a clock showing midnight. A snow country home scene is also making a statement as a New Year symbol although it is not taking on any universal appeal. Whatever symbol reminds you of New Year’s there is not denying that it is becoming more and more popular each year to celebrate the ringing in of the new year.