What might be the cargo of a ship moving from new england to west africa in the trans-atlantic slave trade?
cloth
guns
molasses
rum

it's a secular holiday. it is and was a custom developed to recognize the ending of a time and a wish for a good future. the kind of kiss you exchange, if you are single, is intended to predict what kind of year you will have in the coming year.

it is saying good bye to the last year with all its ups and downs, and hello to the new year, with all its hopes and dreams.