Everyone around the world celebrates the New Year differently and at different times . But they may also observe New Year traditions from other religions or cultures . For example , many Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year . This date changes from year to year . The date of the Islamic New Year also changes from year to year . And in India , each religious group has its own date for the beginning of the year . For example , the Hindu New Year comes in April or May . No matter when you celebrate the New Year , it usually involves thinking about the past year and planning for the year ahead . People have many different ways of ringing out the old and ringing in the new . But why are bells linked to the calendar change ? In the Christian and Buddhist religions , bells are often connected with the New Year . The website CatholicCulture.org explains that "bells serve as a beautiful symbol introducing a new year to be spent together as a community of families ..." Another website describes how bells are used in Japan on New Year's Eve . "As midnight approaches , Buddhist temples around the country begin ringing out the old year , sounding the temple bell 108 times ." Each ring of the bell stands for each of the earthly desires a Buddhist must try to overcome -- all 108 of them ! These age-old traditions have given us the phrase "to ring out the old and ring in the new ." The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892 ) made the phrase popular with his poem “In Memoriam [Ring Out , Wild Bells ].” In this poem , Tennyson rings out , or says farewell to , the bad , and he rings in , or says hello , to the good . The friends almost became family when Hallam became engaged to the poet's sister , Emily . However , before they could wed , Hallam died of a brain hemorrhage . To remember his good friend , Tennyson wrote the poem “In Memoriam .” He also named one of his two sons Hallam . Here is Jonathan Evans reading the first part of that poem . Ring out , wild bells , to the wild sky , The flying cloud , the frosty light : The year is dying in the night ; Ring out , wild bells , and let him die . Ring out the old , ring in the new , Ring , happy bells , across the snow : The year is going , let him go ; Ring out the false , ring in the true . Ring out the grief that saps the mind For those that here we see no more ; Ring out the feud of rich and poor , Ring in redress to all mankind . Ring out a slowly dying cause , And ancient forms of party strife ; Ring in the nobler modes of life , For the New Year , what do you plan to ring out and what do you plan to ring in ? Also in the coming New Year , what words , expressions or phrases would you like to learn more about ?