Ring in the New Year Virtual Tour. January 1st at 7.30pm.

On, January 1st 2026, I will be giving my annual Ring in the New Year Walk for London Walks.

To book, click here:

Thursday 1st January 2026 7.30pm .
On this Virtual Walk we look at how London has celebrated the New Year over the past 2000 years.

The New Year has been a time of renewal and anticipation of the future from time immemorial. The Ancient Britons saw the Solstice as a symbol of a promise of renewal as the Sun was reborn. As the weather turns to bleak mid-winter, a festival or reflection and renewal cheers everyone up. This idea of renewal was followed by the Romans, and presided over by a two headed God called Janus. Janus looked both backwards and forwards. Dickens Christmas Carol was based on redemption. His second great Christmas Book ‘The Chimes’ on the renewal that the New Year encouraged.

We look at London’s past to see where and how the New Year was celebrated. Why did different societies have different New Years we use? How were their calendars arranged – the Pagan year, the Christian year, the Roman year, the Jewish year, the Financial year, the Academic year. We look at folk traditions and New Year London customs. Medieval Christmas Festivals, Boy Bishops, Lords of Misrule, Distaff Sunday and Plough Monday, and other Winter Festivals

At the end, we use ancient methods to divine what is in store for us in 2026..

The virtual walk finds interesting and historic places in the City of London to link to our stories of Past New Year’s Days. We begin, virtually, at Barbican Underground. Continue to the Museum of London, the Roman Fort; Noble Street, Goldsmiths Hall, Foster Lane, St Pauls, Doctors Commons, St. Nicholas Colechurch and on towards the River Thames.

To Book: