New Year
The New Year is the time or day at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner.[1] In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system today, New Year occurs on January 1 (New Year's Day, preceded by New Year's Eve). This was also the first day of the year in the original Julian calendar and the Roman calendar (after 153 BC).[2]
Other cultures observe their traditional or religious New Year's Day according to their own customs, typically (though not invariably) because they use a
During the
By type
Based on the used calendar new years are often categorized between
By month or season
January
- January 1: The first day of the civil year in the Gregorian calendar used by most countries.
- Contrary to common belief in the west, the civil New Year of January 1 is not an Orthodox Christian religious holiday. The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar makes no provision for the observance of a New Year. January 1 is itself a religious holiday, but that is because it is the feast of the circumcision of Christ (seven days after His birth), and a commemoration of saints. While the liturgical calendar begins September 1, there is also no particular religious observance attached to the start of the new cycle. Orthodox nations may, however, make civil celebrations for the New Year. Those who adhere to the revised Julian calendar (which synchronizes dates with the Gregorian calendar), including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Romania, Syria, and Turkey, observe both the religious and civil holidays on January 1. In other nations and locations where Orthodox churches still adhere to the Julian calendar, including Georgia, Israel, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Ukraine, the civil new year is observed on January 1 of the civil calendar, while those same religious feasts occur on January 14 Gregorian (which is January 1 Julian), in accord with the liturgical calendar.
- The Japanese New Year (正月, Shōgatsu) is currently celebrated on January 1, with the holiday usually being observed until the January 3, while other sources say that Shōgatsu lasts until January 6. In 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar. Prior to 1873, Japan used a lunar calendar with twelve months each of 29 or 30 days for a total year of about 354 days.[3]
- The Ođđajagemánnu.[4]
Winter lunar new years
- The five elements. This combination cycles every 60 years. It is the most important Chinese celebration of the year.
- The Seollalor Lunar New Year's Day. Although January 1 is, in fact, the first day of the year, Seollal, the first day of the lunar calendar, is more meaningful for Koreans. A celebration of the Lunar New Year is believed to have started to let in good luck and ward off bad spirits all throughout the year. With the old year out and a new one in, people gather at home and sit around with their families and relatives, catching up on what they have been doing.
- The Tết Nguyên Đánwhich most times is the same day as the Chinese New Year due to the Vietnamese using a Lunar calendar similar to the Chinese calendar.
- The Tibetan New Year is Losar and falls between January and March.
March
- northward equinox. Ancient celebrations lasted for eleven days.[5]
- Nava Varsha is celebrated in India in various regions from March–April.
- The Nauryz. It is usually celebrated on March 22.
- The Balinese New Year, based on the Saka Calendar (Balinese-Javanese Calendar), is called Nyepi, and it falls on Bali's Lunar New Year (around March). It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation: observed from 6 am until 6 am the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. Although Nyepi is a primarily Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents of Bali observe the day of silence as well, out of respect for their fellow citizens. Even tourists are not exempt; although free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.
- Kannada: ಯುಗಾದಿ); the Telugu and Kannada New Year, generally falls in the months of March or April. The people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnatakastates in southern India celebrate the advent of New Year's Day in these months. The first month of the new year is Chaitra Masa.
- In the Kashmiri calendar, the holiday KashmiriBrahmins has been celebrated for several millennia.
- Gudi Padwa is celebrated as the first day of the Hindu year by the people of Maharashtra, India and Sanskar Padwa is celebrated in Goa. This day falls in March–April and coincides with Ugadi. (see: Deccan)
- The Sindhi festival of Cheti Chand is celebrated on the same day as Ugadi/Gudi Padwa to mark the celebration of the Sindhi New Year.
- The Ra-Hoor-Khuit, commemorating the beginning of the New Aeon in 1904. It also marks the start of the twenty-two-day Thelemic holy season, which ends on the third day of the writing of The Book of the Law. This date is also known as The Feast of the Supreme Ritual. There are some[who?] that believe the Thelemic New Year falls on either March 19, 20, or 21, depending on the vernal equinox, which is The Feast for the Equinox of the Gods on the vernal equinox of each year to commemorate the founding of Thelema in 1904. In 1904 the vernal equinox was on March 21, and it was the day after Aleister Crowleyended his Horus Invocation that brought on the new Æon and Thelemic New Year.
April
- The Chaldean-Babylonian New Year, called Kha b'Nissanor Resha d'Sheeta, occurs on April 1.
- Thelemic New Year Celebrations usually end on April 10, after an approximately one-month-long period that begins on March 20 (the formal New Year). This one-month period is referred to by many as the High Holy Days, and end with periods of observance on April 8, 9, and 10, coinciding with the three days of the Writing of the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley in 1904.[6]
Mid-April (Spring in the Northern Hemisphere)
The new year of many
- The celebrate their new year called Bege Roch in the month of Daardans according to their Saaldar calendar.
- Hindu homes and the entrance to the houses are decorated elaborately with kolams.
- nanakshahicalendar.
- Bikram Sambat (BS)as an official calendar.
- The Dogra of Himachal Pradesh celebrate their new year Chaitti in the month of Chaitra.
- Maithili New Year or Jude-Sheetal too fall on these days. It is celebrated by Maithili Peopleall around the world.
- Assamese New Year (Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu) is celebrated on April 14 or 15 in the Indian state of Assam.
- Bengali New Year (Bengali: পহেলা বৈশাখ Pôhela Boishakh or Bengali: বাংলা নববর্ষ Bangla Nôbobôrsho) is celebrated on the 1st of Boishakh (April 14 or 15) in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal and Tripura.
- Vishuva Sankranti or Pana Sankranti(ପଣା ସଂକ୍ରାନ୍ତି).
- Manipuri New Year or Cheirouba is celebrated on April 14 in the Indian State of Manipur with much festivities and feasting.
- Sinhalese New Year is celebrated with the harvest festival (in the month of Bak) when the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries). Sri Lankans begin celebrating their National New Year "Aluth Avurudda (අලුත් අවුරුද්ද)" in Sinhala and "Puththandu (புத்தாண்டு)" in Tamil. However, unlike the usual practice where the new year begins at midnight, the National New Year begins at the time determined by the astrologers by calculating the exact time that sun goes from Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries). Not only the beginning of the new year but the conclusion of the old year is also specified by the astrologers. And unlike the customary ending and beginning of the new year, there is a period of a few hours in between the conclusion of the Old Year and the commencement of the New Year, which is called the "nona gathe" (neutral period) Where part of the sun in House of Pisces and Part is in House of Aries.
- in mid-April.
- Western parts of Kodagu, in Southwestern Karnataka, however, both new year, Yugadi (corresponding to Gudi Padwa in March) and Bisu (corresponding to Vishu in around April 14 or 15), are observed.
- The Southeast Asian countries, on the day of the full moon of the 11th month on the lunisolar calendar each year. The date of the festival is based on the traditional lunisolar calendar which determines the dates of Buddhist festivals and holidays, and is observed from April 13 to 15.[7]Traditionally people gently sprinkled water on one another as a sign of respect, but since the new year falls during the hottest month in Southeast Asia, many people end up dousing strangers and passersby in vehicles in boisterous celebration. The festival has many different names specific to each country:
- In : sangkran)
- Songkran (Thai: สงกรานต์) in Thailand
- Pi Mai Lao (Lao: ສົງກຣານ Songkan) in Laos
- Chaul Chnam Thmey (Khmer: បុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី ) in Cambodia.
- It is also the traditional new year of the Yunnan Province, China. Religious activities in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism are also carried out, a tradition in which all of these cultures share.
June
- The New Year of the Kutch, this day is associated with the beginning of rains in Kutch, which is largely a desert area. Hindu calendar month of Aashaadh usually begins on June 22 and ending on July 22.
- Odunde Festival is a celebration on the 2nd Sunday of June, where "Odunde" means "Happy New Year" in the Yorube Nigerian language.
- The Xooy ceremony of the Serer people of Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania marks the Serer New Year.
- In the Dogon religion, the Bulo festival marks the DogonNew Year.
July
- The New Year of the Zulu people occurs on the full moon of July.
September
- Thoth 1 usually occurs on August 29 in the Julian calendar, except in the year before a Julian leap year, when it occurs the next day. The leap years removed from the Gregorian calendarmean that it presently falls on September 11 or 12 but on different days before 1900 or after 2100.
- Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, occurs on the same day as Neyrouz.
- The New Year of the Southward equinox(22, 23, or 24 September)
Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere
- seven days of Creation, and marking God's yearly renewal of His world. The day has elements of festivity and introspection, as God is traditionally believed to be assessing His creation and determining the fate of all men and creatures for the coming year. In Jewish tradition, honey is used to symbolize a sweet new year. At the traditional meal for that holiday, apple slices are dipped in honey and eaten with blessings recited for a good, sweet new year. Some Rosh Hashanah greetings show honey and an apple, symbolizing the feast. In some congregations, small straws of honey are given out to usher in the new year.[8]
- The .
- The Ashvin month & also the last day of the Ashvin month of the Hindu calendar.
- The Hinduscelebrate the New Year in early spring. The Gujarati community all over the world celebrates the New Year after Diwali to mark the beginning of a new fiscal year.
- The Sikkimese celebrate their new year called Losar.
- The Nepal Era New year (see Newarscommunity of Nepal.
- Some neo-pagans celebrate their interpretation of Samhain (a festival of the ancient Celts, held around November 1) as a New Year's Day representing the new cycle of the Wheel of the Year, although they do not use a different calendar that starts on this day.
December
- The Mizo in northeast India celebrate their Pawl Kut in December.[9]
- The
Variable
| ||
Opening of the Year | ||
---|---|---|
- The Islamic New Year occurs on Muharram. Since the Islamic calendar is based on 12 lunar months amounting to about 354 days, its New Year occurs about eleven days earlier each year in relation to the Gregorian calendar, with two Islamic New Years falling in the Gregorian year 2008.
- Java, Indonesiacelebrated it by staying at home and refrain leaving the house.
- The "Opening of the Year" (Sirius's return to the night sky (July 19 proleptic Julian calendar),[14] during the initial stages of former annual flood of the Nile. However the Egyptian calendar's lack of leap years, until its reform by the Roman emperor Augustus, meant that the celebration slowly cycled through the entire solar year over the course of two or three 1460-year Sothic cycles.
Christian liturgical year
The early development of the Christian liturgical year coincided with the Roman Empire (east and west), and later the Byzantine Empire, both of which employed a taxation system labeled the Indiction, the years for which began on September 1. This timing may account for the ancient church's establishment of September 1 as the beginning of the liturgical year, despite the official Roman New Year's Day of January 1 in the Julian calendar, because the Indiction was the principal means for counting years in the empires, apart from the reigns of the Emperors. The September 1 date prevailed throughout all of Christendom for many centuries, until subsequent divisions eventually produced revisions in some places.
After the
The present-day Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar is the virtual culmination of the ancient eastern development cycle, though it includes later additions based on subsequent history and lives of saints. It still begins on September 1, proceeding annually into the
The liturgical calendars of the
Historical European new year dates
During the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, years began on the date on which each consul first entered the office. This was probably May 1 before 222 BC, March 15 from 222 BC to 154 BC,[15] and January 1 from 153 BC.[16] In 45 BC, when Julius Caesar's new Julian calendar took effect, the Senate fixed January 1 as the first day of the year. At that time, this was the date on which those who were to hold civil office assumed their official position, and it was also the traditional annual date for the convening of the Roman Senate. This civil new year remained in effect throughout the Roman Empire, east and west, during its lifetime and well after, wherever the Julian calendar continued in use.
In the
- In Modern Style[17] or Circumcision Style dating, the new year started on January 1, the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ.
- In Annunciation Style or Lady Day Style dating the new year started on March 25,[17] the feast of the Annunciation (traditionally nicknamed Lady Day). This date was used in many parts of Europe during the Middle Ages and beyond.[18]
- In Easter Style dating, the new year started on movable feastthe same date could occur twice in a year; the two occurrences were distinguished as "before Easter" and "after Easter".
- In Christmas Style or Nativity Style dating the new year started on December 25. This was used in Germany and England until the eleventh century,[20] and in Spain from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.
Over the centuries, countries changed between styles until the Modern Style (January 1) prevailed. For example,
- In England and Ireland, either Annunciation Style (March 25) or Nativity Style (December 25th) was used until the Norman Conquest in 1066, when Modern Style (January 1) was adopted; but Annunciation Style was used again from 1155.[20]
- Privy Council on December 17, 1599).[21]
- Despite the unification of the Scottish and English royal crowns with the accession of King James VI and I in 1603, and even the union of the kingdoms themselves in 1707, England continued using Annunciation Style while Scotland used Modern Style.
- The final change came when Parliament passed the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750. This act had two major elements: it converted all parts of the British Empire[a] to use of the Gregorian calendar and simultaneously it declared the civil new year in England, Wales, Ireland and the Colonies to be January 1 (as was already the case in Scotland). It went into effect on 3 September (Old Style) or 14 September (New Style) 1752.[17]
A more unusual case is France, which observed the
Adoptions of January 1
It took quite a long time before January 1 again became the universal or standard start of the civil year. The years of adoption of January 1 as the new year are as follows:
Country | Start year |
---|---|
Holy Roman Empire (~Germany)[22] | 1544 |
Spain, Portugal, Poland[22] | 1556 |
Prussia,[22] Denmark.[23] and Sweden.[22] | 1559 |
France (Edict of Roussillon) | 1564 |
Southern Netherlands[24] | 1576 |
Lorraine[citation needed ] |
1579 |
Dutch Republic[22] | 1583 |
Scotland[21][22] | 1600 |
Russia[25] | 1700[b] |
Tuscany[22] | 1721 |
England and Wales, Ireland and British Empire[22][c] |
1752 |
Japan[27] | 1873 |
China[28] | 1912 |
Greece[29] | 1923 |
Turkey[30] | 1926 |
Thailand[citation needed] | 1941 |
March 1 was the first day of the numbered year in the
Time zones
Because of the division of the globe into
Gallery of celebrations
See also
- Assyrian New Year– Assyrian New Year
- Aztec New Year
- Baby New Year – Personification of the New Year
- Berber New Year – First month of the Berber year
- Cambodian New Year – Traditional Cambodian holiday
- Chinese New Year – Traditional Chinese holiday
- Ethiopian New Year– Ethiopian and Eritrean New Year holiday
- Hogmanay – Scottish celebration of New Year
- Hobiyee – Nisg̱a'a new year
- Indian New Year's days – Indian New Year
- Islamic New Year – Beginning of a new lunar Hijri year
- Japanese New Year – Traditional holiday
- Jewish New Year – Jewish New Year
- Korean New Year – Traditional Korean holiday
- Lunar New Year – Beginning of a year in a lunar calendar
- Māori New Year – Maori New Year festival marked by rising of the constellation Matariki/Pleiades
- Mongolian New Year – First day of the year according to the Mongolian lunar calendar
- New Year's Eve – Last day of the Gregorian calendar year
- Nogbon – Ossetian New Year
- Old New Year (or Orthodox New Year, Julian New Year)
- Old Style and New Style dates – Changes in calendar conventions from Julian to Gregorian dates
- Pahela Baishakh– Bengali new year
- Pakistani New Year – Religious, harvest and traditional new year festival
- Persian New Year – Iranian festival marking the new year and the spring equinox
- Russian New Year– Russian New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebration
- Sinhalese New Year – Sri Lankan new year holiday
- Thai New Year – Traditional Thai New Year's holiday
- Twelve Grapes – Spanish New Year tradition
- Vietnamese New Year– Vietnamese New Year celebration
- List of films set around New Year
Notes
References
- ^ Anthony Aveni, "Happy New Year! But Why Now?" in The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), 11–28.
- ISBN 978-0-415-52217-5.
- ISBN 9780804763868. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ^ "The Sami Concept of Time". Archived from the original on 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
- ^ Tek Web Visuals, Cochina. "New Year's Day". World e scan. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ "The Thelemic Holy Season Archived 2017-06-19 at the Wayback Machine", 2004
- ISBN 9781476607481. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ^ Ben, Tzvi (22 September 2006). "Rosh Hashanah: Prayers, Shofars, Apples, Honey and Pomegranates". Israelnationalnews.com. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- OCLC 471671707.
- from the original on 2020-08-02. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
- ^ "Quviasukvik: The Inuit Winter Festival & Christmas". Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ For alternative representations of the Opening of the Year, see Mesori.
- ^ Vygus, Mark (2015), Middle Egyptian Dictionary (PDF), archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-08-03, retrieved 2017-02-09.
- ^ Tetley, M. Christine (2014), The Reconstructed Chronology of the Egyptian Kings, Vol. I, p. 42, archived from the original on 2017-02-11, retrieved 2017-02-09
- ISBN 9780520055827.
- ^ Roman Dates: Eponymonous Years Archived June 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ISBN 9780191650499
- ^ "General Chronology (Beginning of the Year)". CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: General Chronology. Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ISBN 9789004077829. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
The town of Louvain, belonging to the duchy of Brabant, used the Easter Style, beginning the year at Holy Saturday.
- ^ a b Bond (1875), p. 91.
- ^ a b Bond (1875), See footnote on pages xvii–xviii: original text of the Scottish decree.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mike Spathaky Old Style and New Style Dates and the change to the Gregorian Calendar: A summary for genealogists Archived 2014-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 87-7423-083-2) although the number of the year did not begin on 1 January until 1559.
- ^ Per decree of 16 June 1575. Hermann Grotefend, "Osteranfang Archived 2016-07-13 at the Wayback Machine" (Easter beginning), Zeitrechnung de Deutschen Mittelalters und der Neuzeit Archived 2016-06-28 at the Wayback Machine (Chronology of the German Middle Ages and modern times) (1891–1898)
- OL 7431283W.
- ^ a b "Ukase No. 1736". Полное собрание законов Российской империи. Том III [Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire. Volume III.]. 20 December 1699. p. 683. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ISBN 9780824823375. Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
Late in 1872 Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar and 1872.12.3 became 1 January 1873
- ISBN 9780521842129. Archivedfrom the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
Indeed the adoption of the Gregorian calendar was the very first law passed by the new Republic of China. On December 31, 1911, the national senate passed a resolution to adopt the solar calendar immediately, regarding the next day as the first day of the first month of the first year of the Republic of China.
- ISBN 9780873383578. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ISBN 9780300069365. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
- ^ a b "Beginning - New Year". fcp.vse.cz. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Ukase No. 1735". Полное собрание законов Российской империи. Том III [Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire. Volume III.]. 10 December 1699. p. 682. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ^ World Time Zone. "UTC+14". Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 1 Sep 2014.
- ^ Harris, Aimee (April 1999). "Millennium: Date Line Politics". Honolulu Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 June 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2006.
- ^ Greenwich (2008). "Greenwich Meantime, Kiribati". Kiribati Map. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
Sources
- Bond, John James (1875), Handy-book of rules and tables, London: George Bell & Sons, pp. xvii–xviii