New Year’s, Not Always New and Shiny: A Look at the Weirdest First Days of the Year

Hey there, party people!

Ready to raise a glass to a brand new year full of possibilities? But before we dive headlong into 2024, let’s take a hilarious trip down memory lane and revisit some of the strangest and funniest things that happened on New Year’s Day throughout history. Buckle up, because this is one wild ride!

1. The Great New Year’s Day Turkey Trot of 1934: Picture this: thousands of New Yorkers, hungover and wobbly from the previous night’s revelry, lining up for a 5-mile turkey trot through Central Park. Why? In 1934, a resourceful restaurateur decided to turn leftover holiday turkeys into prizes, and the city went bonkers!

2. The Times Square Ball… Almost Missed the Mark? In 1962, a power outage plunged Times Square into darkness just as the iconic ball was about to drop. Panicked technicians scrambled to switch to backup generators, and the ball finally descended 10 minutes late, much to the confused and slightly terrified crowd.

3. Falling Resolutions and a Flying Fridge: Remember those ambitious resolutions you made last year? Yeah, us too. In 1978, a resident of Dallas, Texas, decided to celebrate a fresh start by tossing his old refrigerator out the window. Unfortunately, his aim was a bit off, and the fridge landed squarely on a parked car. Talk about a memorable (and expensive) New Year’s Day story!

4. A Flock of False Alarms: Every year, fire departments brace themselves for New Year’s Eve fireworks mishaps. But in 2019, a flock of pigeons triggered a series of false alarms in Sydney, Australia, sending firefighters on a wild goose chase (or should we say, pigeon chase?). (Photo: [Link to photo of pigeons setting off fire alarms in Sydney])

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So, raise your (virtual) glasses to a new year filled with possibilities, hilarious memories, and, of course, secure and seamless financial transactions courtesy of Lemonade Payments! Cheers!

P.S. Stay tuned for more New Year’s Day weirdness in the comments! We want to hear your craziest stories and resolutions gone wrong. Let’s make this year’s first day one to remember!