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December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. It is known by a collection of names including: Saint Sylvester's Day, [1] New Year's Eve or Old Year's Day/Night, as the following day is New Year's Day. It is the last day of the year; the following day is January 1, the first day of the following year.
The Catholic Church grants a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to those who recite the Te Deum in public on New Year's Eve, which is usually done prior to the celebration of Mass. [240] In Vatican City, on 31 December, the Pope usually performs a solemn service of Vespers with recitation of the Te Deum in St. Peter's Basilica.
In Belgium, the feast of Saint Silvester, celebrated on 31 December, is associated with both religious traditions and cultural customs. Among Belgian Christians , there is a longstanding belief that a maiden who does not finish her work by sunset on Saint Silvester's Day will not get married in the coming year. [ 5 ]
1986 – Three disgruntled employees set fire to the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, killing more than 90 people and injuring 140 others, making it the second-deadliest hotel fire in American history. 1999 – In accordance with the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, Panama assumed full control of the Panama Canal Zone from the United States.
Visitors ring the bell at Ōsu Kannon in Nagoya. Joya no Kane (除夜の鐘) lit. ' midnight bell ' is a Japanese Buddhist event held annually on New Year's Eve. The bell, or bonshō, is struck at midnight of December 31, as a part of the Ōmisoka celebrations.
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December 31: Saint Sylvester's Day (Western Christianity) Painting of helicopter rescue efforts at the Dupont Plaza fire 1225 – Lý Chiêu Hoàng , the only empress regnant in Vietnamese history, married Trần Thái Tông to establish the Trần dynasty , with both the bride and groom aged seven.
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