New Year’s Day

New Year 2026 — we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse in the Eastern calendar, which comes only once every 60 years and is seen as a time of passionate change and bold beginnings!

The last Fire Horse year was 1966, when the world was undergoing cultural revolutions and The Beatles were recording “Yellow Submarine.” Fun fact: the tradition of New Year’s resolutions is about 4,000 years old — the ancient Babylonians pledged to return debts and farming tools to the gods! And the custom of toasting with champagne at midnight took root in France — it was believed the bubbles carried away all the bad from the old year. In 2026 we’ll ring in a special NY: it will be the first year when Generation Alpha (born after 2025) officially starts appearing in statistics!

Gift ideas for a year of technology and change:
Give the future as an experience: next-gen VR headsets for virtual travel, AI-powered smart-home devices, personalized NFT postcards (yes, they’re back!).
For traditionalists with a twist: an e-reader preloaded with classics, smartwatches in a vintage design, a molecular gastronomy starter kit.
2026 trends: a course in neural-network art, eco-friendly solar gadgets.
Year of the Horse symbols: ruby jewelry (stone of the year), horse-themed artworks, sports gear for an active lifestyle.

How to make 2026 unforgettable:

• Create a time capsule with predictions for the next 10 years — open it in 2036!
• Host a hybrid party: some guests in person, others in the metaverse.
• Fire Horse menu: dishes with flambé elements, cocktails with dry ice, desserts topped with sparkling sparklers.
• New tradition — “26 wishes for the 26th year”: each guest writes a wish on seed-infused biodegradable paper; plant them in spring to grow a “garden of wishes.”
  Dress code: futuristic glam — metallics, holographics, reflective fabrics.

Rituals for good luck:

• One hour before midnight, start a “world countdown” — follow online as each time zone welcomes the New Year.
• At 23:26, make your main wish for the year.
• At midnight, eat 12 grapes (a Spanish tradition) or 12 raisins, one wish for each month.
• After midnight, do first what you want to be doing all year.
  And remember: in a Fire Horse year, it’s especially auspicious to celebrate in red — the color of passion, energy, and luck!