New Year’s is the last holiday of the old year, the first holiday of the new year and, as such, humans have been marking it for longer than we remember.

woodblock print, from the series Elegant Comparisons of Precious Children (Furyu kodakara awase), signed Utamaro hitsu (Brush of Utamaro), published by Izumiya Ichibei (Kansendo), circa 1802 ...