*ONE NIGHT EARLY THIS WEEK DUE TO THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY*

I’ll get to the above title in just a bit. But first, New Year’s traditions with a focus on the beloved Irish.

There’s more.

In Ecuador, many citizens set fire to scarecrows filled with paper at midnight on New Year’s Eve, as well as burning any old photographs that represent bad memories. The thought is doing so helps to banish any ill fortune or bad things that have happened over the last 12 months.

In Denmark unused plates that have been saved up throughout the year are thrown at the front doors of family and friends for good luck. The more plates you find outside your house, the more luck you’ll have in the New Year. In South American countries there’s a superstition that the color of your underwear can determine what the New Year will bring. Those who want to find love wear red. Those hoping for wealth choose yellow. If you’re just looking for peace, wear white.

In Italy locals throw old soft furniture items out the window to symbolize a fresh start for the upcoming year.

At New Year’s it’s important to realize it’s still Christmastime, all over the world.

In 1965 one of the world’s largest tire companies recorded another in a series of Christmas albums.

For its 1965 addition to the “Great Songs of Christmas” holiday series, Goodyear and Columbia Special Products produced nearly three million records.  As with years past, Goodyear’s retail stores sold each and every album. As with the previous four releases, Goodyear compiled a collection of wonderful performances of classic Christmas songs by popular artists of the era.

From the album’s back cover:

One song is brand-new; it was commissioned by Goodyear especially for this album, and is our special Christmas gift to you.

“Golden Boy” Sammy Davis Jr. brings a special new excitement to our album series.  He recorded the song which was written especially for this album, and is heard here for the first time.  “It’s Christmas Time All Over the World” was written by Hugh Martin, who also wrote “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,”, “The Trolley Song,” “Meet Me In St. Louis,” and numbers of other hits.