Sure, he’s cute and all, but why is the new year represented by a baby? And where does this baby come from? We spoke with Daniel Compora, PhD, a professor in the department of English language and literature at the University of Toledo, and mined ancient history and folklore to find out. Here’s what to know about the origins of Baby New Year and how the infant became a New Year’s tradition.

Who is Baby New Year, exactly?

Baby New Year is a symbolic representation, or personification, of the passing of the previous year and the ushering in of a new one, says Compora. This concept is meant to show the passage of time over the course of one calendar year, as represented by human life: a person born on Jan. 1 who ages and becomes an older man on death’s doorstep by Dec. 31. “Since the new year is a way to start over again, it represents rebirth or starting over,” Compora explains.

What is the origin of Baby New Year?

Baby New Year is traditionally depicted as a baby or toddler wearing a diaper, loincloth or toga—and often a sash bearing the new year—but otherwise nude. Sometimes the baby is wearing a party hat, like those who ring in the new year at midnight. Other times, he’s depicted with wings, like Cupid.

The origins of Baby New Year can be traced back to Ancient Greece—specifically, an annual celebration known as the Great Dionysia, according to William Crump in his book Encyclopedia of New Year’s Holidays Worldwide. Originally, the festival wasn’t tied to the new year; instead, it commemorated the winter death and springtime resurrection of Dionysus, god of wine, vegetation and fertility. During the festivities, the birth of Dionysus was reenacted by placing an infant in a winnowing fan, a type of bread basket.

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Great Dionysia, ancient dramatic festival in which tragedy, comedy, and satyric drama originated; it was held in Athens in March in honour of
Dionysus, the god of wine.  Source

Historical Context

The Great Dionysia originated in the 6th century BCE and was celebrated annually in March or April. It was a major cultural event in Athens,
dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, and theater. The festival included a series of theatrical performances, processions, and sacrifices,
marking it as a cornerstone of Athenian classical culture. 

Processions: A grand procession, or pompe, would carry the sacred statue of Dionysus into the city, accompanied by singing and dancing. 

Cultural Significance

The Great Dionysia played a pivotal role in the evolution of Greek drama and had a profound impact on Western literature. It fostered a competitive
 spirit among playwrights and encouraged the development of narrative structures and thematic elements that would shape future storytelling. The
festival not only served as a religious observance but also as a reflection of Athenian values, emphasizing the importance of the arts and civic pride. 

Conclusion
The Great Dionysia remains a significant historical event, illustrating the rich cultural heritage of ancient Greece and its lasting influence on theater
and literature. Its legacy continues to inspire modern performances and artistic expressions, highlighting the enduring power of storytelling and
communal celebration.  WikipediaBritannicaBritannica 2
The rituals and sacrifices to Dionysus in ancient times were deeply intertwined with the worship of the god
of wine, fertility,  and ecstasy. These  practices were not only religious observances but also social mechanisms  that allowed participants  to  transcend everyday constraints and experience divine ecstasy.  The primary festivals honoring  Dionysus included the Dionysia  and  the Bacchanalia, which were elaborate multi-day   events that included grand processions,  theatrical  performances,  and dramatic competitions . These festivals were crucial for the development of Greek theater and contributed  significantly to artistic  development.  Participants engaged in ekstasis, a state of spiritual rapture  where individual consciousness dissolved into collective experience . Performers often  wore  masks and elaborate costumes, symbolizing the god’s ability to change forms.  These visual  representations  reinforced the festival’s themes of metamorphosis and spiritual journey.  Wikipedia

ecstasy, (from Greek ekstasis, “to stand outside of or transcend [oneself]”), in mysticism, the experience of an inner vision of God or of one’s relation to or union with the divine. Various methods have been used to achieve ecstasy, which is a primary goal in most forms of religious mysticism. The most typical consists of four stages: (1) purgation (of bodily desire); (2) purification (of the will); (3) illumination (of the mind); and (4) unification (of one’s being or will with the divine). Other methods are: dancing (as used by the Mawlawiyyah, or whirling dervishes, a Muslim Sufi sect); the use of sedatives and stimulants (as utilized in some Hellenistic mystery religions); and the use of certain drugs, such as peyote, mescaline, hashish, LSD, and similar products (in certain Islamic sects and modern experimental religious groups). Source
The rites were based on a seasonal death-rebirth theme, common among agricultural cults. Spirit possession involved liberation from civilization’s rules and constraints. It celebrated that which was outside civilized society and a return to primordial nature—which would later assume mystical overtones. It also involved escape from the socialized personality and ego into an ecstatic, deified state or the primal herd (sometimes both). In this sense Dionysus was the beast-god within, or the unconscious mind of modern psychology.[4] Such activity has been interpreted as fertilizing, invigorating, cathartic, liberating, and transformative, and so appealed to those on the margins of society: women, slaves, outlaws, and “foreigners” (non-citizens, in Greek democracy). All were equal in a cult that inverted their roles, similar to the Roman Saturnalia.

The trance induction central to the cult involved not only chemognosis (an altered state caused by drug use), but an “invocation of spirit” with the bullroarer and communal dancing to drum and pipe. The trances are described in familiar anthropological terms, with characteristic movements (such as the backward head flick found in all trance-inducing cults found today in Afro-American Vodou and its counterparts[citation needed]). As in Vodou rites, certain rhythms were associated with the trance. Rhythms are also found preserved in Greek prose referring to the Dionysian rites (such as Euripides‘ The Bacchae). This collection of classical quotes describes rites in the Greek countryside in the mountains, to which processions were made on feast days:  SOURCE
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Invocations of Dionysus (from the Orphic hymns)

“I call upon loud-roaring and revelling Dionysus,
primeval, double-natured, thrice-born, Bacchic lord,
wild, ineffable, secretive, two-horned and two-shaped.
Ivy-covered, bull-faced, warlike, howling, pure,
You take raw flesh, you have feasts, wrapt in foliage, decked with grape clusters.
Resourceful Eubouleus, immortal god sired by Zeus
When he mated with Persephone in unspeakable union.
Hearken to my voice, O blessed one,
and with your fair-girdled nymphs breathe on me in a spirit of perfect agape”.

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What is Baby New Year’s relation to Father Time?

Father Time—typically depicted as an elderly man with a long white beard—is the end-of-year counterpart to Baby New Year. In other words, in this scenario, the passage of one year corresponds to one human lifetime. As noted above, the person is born as Baby New Year on Jan. 1 and gradually ages as the months pass until he reaches the end of his life as Father Time on Dec. 31. Baby New Year and Father Time are often shown together.

According to Compora, the elderly image of Father Time is most likely drawn from Chronos, the Greek god of time, or the Roman god Saturn. Like Father Time, each was often depicted carrying a scythe, like the Grim Reaper. But Compora says that Father Time may have also been inspired by the two-faced Roman God Janus, who represented beginnings and endings, as well as life and death. “The Father Time persona appears to be an amalgamation of these various figures,” he says.

How did this tradition evolve over the millennia?

The tradition of celebrating rebirth and renewal with a symbolic baby spread from Ancient Greece to other parts of Europe. According to Theodor Gaster in the book New Year: Its History, Customs, and Superstitions, the image and tradition of Baby New Year was brought to the United States by German immigrants—specifically, through an obscure 14th-century folk carol in which a baby serves as a symbol for the new year.

The image and concept of Baby New Year became more widespread in both Europe and the United States during the Victorian era, thanks to the massive popularity of greeting cards and postcards. Advancements in printing technology meant that colorful illustrations could be mass-produced. In addition to Christmas cards, people sent cards to wish others luck in the new year—many of which were adorned with pictures of Baby New Year, sometimes alongside Father Time.

A different type of illustration kept Baby New Year in the public eye for the next several decades. From 1907 to 1943, illustrator (and mentor to Norman Rockwell) J.C. Leyendecker drew depictions of Baby New Year for the covers of the Saturday Evening Post. Starting in the 1910s, Leyendecker began referencing contemporary events in his iconic illustrations, like a baby flying an airplane in 1910—a nod to the era’s fascination with aviation—and a baby carrying a “Votes for Women” placard in 1912, during the ongoing campaign for women’s suffrage.

A few decades later, Baby New Year was featured alongside Father Time in the 1976 stop-motion animated film Rudolph’s Shiny New Year. In it, Happy (Baby New Year) goes missing, and if he isn’t located by midnight on New Year’s Eve, it will remain the old year forever. Because there’s a snowstorm, the titular reindeer is the only one capable of the task.

How do we celebrate Baby New Year today?

The image of Baby New Year is less prominent today than it was in the 20th century, according to Compora, but people still view the holiday as a time to start anew. “The spirit of rebirth or renewal is still present, but people apply it to themselves instead of looking for an artistic representation,” he says. “That’s why people begin the new year with resolutions designed to improve their lives.”
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In Pagan traditions, the concept of rebirth and renewal is deeply rooted in various deities and rituals.

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One of the last remaining traditions is fêting New Year’s babies born at the stroke of midnight. In the past, a baby born on New Year’s Day would be featured in local newspapers. However, even this custom is becoming less common, as many hospitals no longer share information on New Year’s babies with the media out of concerns about privacy and identity theft.