New Year's Day

New Year's Day is the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, celebrated on January 1. Many calendars begin the year close to the northern winter solstice. Some cultures and religions celebrate their new year at different times based on lunar or lunisolar calendars.

Long ago in pre-Christian Rome, this day was dedicated to Janus, the god of gateways and beginnings. This is why the month of January is named after him. Historically, people in Christian Europe celebrated the new year on different dates.

Today, almost every country uses the Gregorian calendar for official purposes. January 1 is one of the most celebrated public holidays around the world. Many people welcome the new year with fireworks at midnight after New Year's Eve. They also make New Year's resolutions and call their friends and family to share the occasion.

History

The ancient Babylonian calendar was a mix of lunar and solar months, and they began their new year around the time of the spring festival in the month of Nisan, near the March equinox. Early Romans started their year on 1 March, with only 10 months in their calendar. The names of some months still show this, as September through December were once the seventh through tenth months. Their second king Numa added the months of Ianuarius and Februarius, which later became the first two months of the year.

The Romans began celebrating the new year on January 1 after it became the day to welcome new leaders called consuls in 153 BC. This date was chosen to match how they counted years. Even so, people still celebrated the new year in March for a while. When January 1 became the new year, it became a time for families to gather and celebrate together.

The Julian calendar, started by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, kept January 1 as the start of the year. Even after this change, some places in the Roman Empire began their year on different dates. For example, Egypt started on August 29, and some areas used the birthday of the Emperor Augustus on September 23. In Christian Europe, the new year was sometimes celebrated on December 25, March 1, March 25, or even Easter.

Many Christian groups hold special services on New Year’s Eve and into the early morning of New Year’s Day. These services are times for people to think about the past year, ask for forgiveness, and hope for the year ahead. The services often include singing, prayers, and messages of encouragement.

As a special day in the Christian calendar, New Year’s Day marks the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus. Some churches still celebrate this feast, while others honor Mary, the mother of Jesus, on this day.

In the past, some people exchanged gifts on January 1 because it was part of the Christmas season. This tradition came from the story of the gifts given to baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men.

Most of Europe and their colonies began using January 1 as New Year’s Day before they changed to the Gregorian calendar. Germany switched in 1544, the Netherlands in 1556 or 1573, Spain and Portugal in 1556, France in 1564, and Italy at different times before it was united. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Scotland, and Russia all made the change by 1725. England, Wales, Ireland, and the American colonies adopted January 1 as New Year’s Day in 1752.

Until 1752, Britain and its colonies used March 25 as the start of the year, even though many people already celebrated on January 1. In 1752, Britain changed to January 1 and also switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. This caused some confusion, especially about when holidays like Christmas would be celebrated.

Some places still celebrate the new year on January 13 because of old calendar differences. For example, in the Gwaun Valley in Wales, people celebrate the new year on January 13. In Foula, part of the Shetland islands, they celebrate a holiday called Yule on January 6 and another called Newerday on January 13.

All countries in Eastern Christendom now use the Gregorian calendar for everyday life but keep the Julian calendar for religious events. Because of this, January 1 on the Julian calendar is January 14 on the Gregorian calendar.

New Year's Day in other calendars

In cultures and religions that use calendars other than the Gregorian, New Year's Day is also an important celebration. Some countries use both the Gregorian calendar and another calendar, leading to two New Year celebrations.

African

Nayrouz and Enkutatash mark the New Year's Days of the Coptic calendar and the Ethiopian calendar. Both occur around late August or early September. They continue traditions from ancient Egypt, which began with the start of the Nile flood.

The Odunde Festival, called the African New Year, happens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the second Sunday of June. It started from Yoruba traditions and has become a major celebration.

The Sotho people of Lesotho and South Africa celebrate Selemo sa Basotho on 1 August, ending the Southern Hemisphere's winter. This follows the Sotho calendar and includes harvest celebrations.

East Asian

Chinese New Year is celebrated in China and some Southeast Asian countries like Singapore. It begins the traditional Chinese calendar, a lunar calendar adjusted every few years. The holiday usually falls between January 20 and February 20. Families gather, give lucky money in red envelopes, and enjoy parades with lions and dragons, fireworks, and other fun activities.

Japanese New Year is celebrated on January 1 using the Gregorian calendar, different from the older Chinese calendar used until 1873.

Korean New Year, called Seollal, happens on the first day of the traditional Korean calendar in South Korea. It is a big holiday with at least three days off. Families visit ancestors' graves, prepare special foods, and play traditional games. Young people show respect to elders and receive good wishes and money.

North Koreans celebrate New Year's Day on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar, also called Seollal. It is a major holiday there.

Southeast Asian

Main article: South and Southeast Asian solar New Year

Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey) is celebrated on April 13 or 14. There are three days of celebration, and Cambodians often visit pagodas or play traditional games.

Thai New Year, called Songkran, is on April 13 or 14. People celebrate by gently pouring water over each other.

Thingyan, the Burmese new year, usually starts on April 13, with New Year's Day on April 17 in the 21st century.

Vietnamese New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán or Tết), often just called Tết, is Vietnam's biggest holiday. It usually falls between January 20 and February 20 and marks the start of spring based on the Chinese calendar.

South Asian

Diwali related New Year's celebrations include Marwari new year and Gujarati new year.

Indian New Year's days vary by region and follow the Hindu calendar.

In Hinduism, different regions celebrate the new year at different times. In Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Nepal, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, people celebrate when the Sun enters Aries in the Hindu calendar, usually April 14 or 15.

Malayalam New Year (Puthuvarsham) is celebrated in mid-April or mid-August depending on the calendar used.

Nepal Sambat is the New Year for the Newar community.

Pahela Baishakh marks the Bengali New Year on April 14 in Bangladesh and on April 14 or 15 in West Bengal, Tripura, and part of Assam.

The Sikh New Year follows the Nanakshahi calendar, starting on March 14.

Sinhalese New Year in Sri Lanka happens between April 13 and 14, ending the harvest season. It includes special Buddhist rituals, family gatherings, and traditions like lighting oil lamps and eating milk rice.

Tamil New Year (Puthandu) is on April 13 or 14, marking the Sun entering Aries.

Telugu New Year (Ugadi) and Kannada New Year (Yugadi) are in March or April.

Middle Eastern

The main religions in the Middle East are Islam and Judaism, each with their own new year celebrations.

Islam

The two main groups in Islam are Sunni Islam and Shia Islam.

Islamic New Year (or "Hijri New Year") starts the new year in the Lunar Hijri calendar.

Nowruz marks the start of spring and the new year in the Solar Hijri calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical Northern spring equinox, usually around March 20. Nowruz has been celebrated for over many years across many areas. Families come together for special rituals.

Judaism

Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) is celebrated by Jews worldwide. It occurs on the new moon of Tishrei, the seventh month from Nisan. The holiday falls in September or October. Celebrations include blowing shofar trumpets, special prayers, readings from religious texts, and festive meals.

Martian

Main article: Timekeeping on Mars

According to NASA, the Martian year starts at its Northward equinox.

Traditional and modern celebrations and customs

New Year's Eve

Main article: New Year's Eve

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve is December 31st, the last day of the year. Many people celebrate by dancing, eating, and watching or lighting fireworks. Some also go to special church services. These celebrations often continue past midnight into New Year's Day, January 1st.

The first places to welcome the new year are the Line Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Some of the last places to welcome the new year are American Samoa, Baker Island, and Howland Island.

New Year's Day

Celebrations for New Year's Day, January 1st, happen all around the world. Some common traditions include parades like the London's New Year's Day Parade and Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade. In some places, people go on "First Day Hikes" in parks. The Vienna Philharmonic orchestra performs a special concert on New Year's Day. In some countries, people have "polar bear plunges" where they jump into cold water.

In Japan, Korea, and some cold regions, people watch the first sunrise of the year. In the United Kingdom and United States, New Year's Day often features sports events. Many countries treat New Year's Day as a holiday when banks and government offices are closed. Some cultures have special foods they eat on New Year's Day for good luck.

Music

Music for New Year's Day includes both classical and popular songs. In English-speaking countries, it is common to sing Auld Lang Syne at midnight to welcome the new year.

New Year's Day babies

Babies born on New Year's Day are called "New Year babies." Some hospitals give out prizes to the first baby born in the new year. These prizes might include baby supplies or gift certificates.

Antarctica

In Antarctica, the marker for the South Pole is moved each New Year's Day because the ice moves. Staff there make a new marker stake each year.