|
|
|
When the Romans came to power, they continued to observe the new year in March, in the springtime. However, the Roman calendar frequently changed based on the wishes of various emperors, and it eventually became unsynchronized with the sun. In an effort to restore a static calendar, the Roman senate declared January 1 as the official beginning of the new year in 153 B.C. Despite this law, emperors continued to tamper with the calendar for over a hundred years. It wasn't until 46 B.C., when Roman Dictator Julius Caesar created a new calendar, that January 1 was again recognized as the start of the new year. At this point, the calendar had been altered so much that Caesar was forced let the year drag on for 445 days in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun again. |
|
|
|
|
|
Many people set aside New Year's Eve for parties, where they sing "Auld Lang Syne" and celebrate with a toast at midnight, when the New Year officially begins. On New Year's Day, many people watch football games, parades, and gather with family and friends. For many religions, it is also a holy day. The modern New Year celebration prompts people to look back over the past year and forward to what the future may hold. One tradition, which dates back to the early Babylonians, is the declaration of New Year's resolutions. When people make resolutions, they choose something that will improve their lives, such as adopting an exercise program, or promising to quit smoking. |
|
|
|
|
|
New Year's Day is one of the world's oldest holidays, but it hasn't always been celebrated on January 1. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago, around 2000 BC. Although they didn't follow a written calendar, Babylonians began celebrating the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23. Festivities lasted for eleven days, and different traditions were celebrated each day. They chose this time of year to celebrate the new year because it was springtime, when new crops were planted. It symbolized new growth and a time to look forward to the future - the same meaning that the new year holds for people today. On January 1, while the Romans celebrated the New Year, the Catholic Church worshipped what is still observed by some denominations today as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision. The Church continued to condemn the celebration of the New Year throughout the Middle Ages. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a revision of Caesar's calendar, which a majority of the world now follows. Therefore, it wasn't until the late 1500s that January 1 became the official holiday celebrated by Western nations. As the Catholic Church expanded, it was strongly opposed to the celebration of the Roman's New Year, and denounced it as paganism. However, as Christianity became more widespread, the religious observances of the Catholic Church began to coincide with many of the pagan celebrations. |
|
|
|
|
|
New Year in the West :
New Year's Day processions with decorated floats and bands are a part of
New Year, and football is also played all over the United States on New Year's Day. In Europe, New Year was often a time for
superstition and fortune-telling, and in some parts of Switzerland and Austria, people dress up to celebrate Saint
Sylvester's Eve.
In AD 314, there was a Pope called Saint Sylvester, and people believed
that he captured a terrible sea monster. It was thought that in the year 1000, this sea monster would escape and destroy the
world, but since it didn't happen, the people were delighted. Since then, in parts of Austria and Switzerland, this story is
remembered at New Year, and people dress up in fantastic costumes, and are called Sylvesterklauses. In Greece, New Year's Day
is also the Festival of Saint Basil. Saint Basil was famous for his kindness, and Greek children leave their shoes by the
fire on New Year's Day with the hope that he will come and fill the shoes with gifts. In Scotland, New Year is called
Hogmanay, and in some villages barrels of tar are set alight and rolled through the streets. Thus, the old year is burned up
and the new one allowed to enter.Scottish people believe that the first person to enter your house in the New Year will bring
good or bad luck, and it is very good luck if the visitor is a dark-haired man bringing a gift. This custom is called
first-footing. The song, Auld Lang Syne is sung at midnight on New Year's Eve, and this custom is now celebrated all over the
world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
~ Modern New Year Celebrations Around The World ~ |
|
|
|
|
|
On New Year's Day, people dress in their best clothes and present one another with small gifts. Celebration of the Hindu New Year varies based on geographic location. Most Hindus live in India, but many have different traditions. For example, the Hindus of Gujarat, in western India, celebrate the New Year at the end of October, at the same time as the Indian festival of Diwali. For the Diwali celebration, small oil lights are lit all along the rooftops. In northern India, people wear flowers to celebrate the New Year, commonly in pink, red, purple, or white hues. Hindus in central India display orange flags, flying them from the top of buildings. In southern India, mothers put food, flowers, and small gifts on a special tray. On New Year's morning, children must keep their eyes shut until they have been led to the tray. There are regionall New Year celebrations as well in India, e.g., the New Year in Bengal is celebrated approximately between April 14 and 15. This is the "Nobo Borsho" or, the 'new year'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chinese people all over the world celebrate the first full moon with a colorful street procession, called the Festival of Lanterns. People fill the streets carrying lanterns and join a great parade led by an enormous dragon. The Festival of Lanterns is believed to light the way for the New Year. The Chinese New Year is a lunar holiday that begins with the arrival of the second new moon following the winter solstice. It usually starts between mid-January and mid-February, (date varies) and lasts for fifteen days. As the New Year approaches, people clean their home to escape bad luck in the upcoming year. Families gather for a feast on New Year's Eve, and stay up late, believing that it will prolong the lives of their elders. The Chinese people believe that evil spirits come around at New Year, so they let off firecrackers to frighten them away. People often seal their windows and doors with paper to keep the evil spirits out, as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Celebration of the Japanese New Year occurs on January 1, as with Western nations. However, the Japanese people also observe some beliefs from their religion, called Shinto. For happiness and good luck, Japanese people hang a rope of straw across the front of their homes. They believe it keeps the evil spirits away. Japanese people begin to laugh the moment the New Year begins, so they will have good luck the whole year. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah, and falls in the seventh month, or Tishri, of the Jewish calendar (September - October). Rosh Hashanah is a holy time when people reflect on the things they have done wrong in the past, so they can improve in the future. Celebration of the New Year begins at sunset the day before, and religious services are held at synagogues in observation. An instrument called a Shofar, made from a ram's horn, is traditionally played and children are given new clothes to celebrate the New Year. In addition, New Year loaves are baked and fruit is eaten to remind people of harvest time. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Muslim New Year falls eleven days earlier than the previous year because the Muslim calendar is based on the movements of the moon. In Iran, people celebrate the New Year in March. As the New Year approaches, Muslims set grains of wheat or barley in small dishes and sprinkle them with water. When the New Year arrives, the growth of the sprouted grains reminds people of spring and a new year of life. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Vietnamese New Year is called Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet for short. The exact date changes from year to year, but it usually falls between January 21 and February 19. A common Vietnamese belief is that the first person to enter a house at New Year will bring either good or bad luck. The Vietnamese also believe that there is a god in every home who travels to heaven at the New Year. In heaven, this god will reveal how good or bad each member of the family has been in the past year. Thus, the New Year is a time to reflect on the past and improve in the future. A traditional Vietnamese belief is that the god travels to heaven on the back of a fish, called a carp. Even today some people will buy a live carp, and then free it in a river or pond.
|
|
|
|
|
|
~ Early New Year Celebrations Around The World ~
Ancient Egypt :
In ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated at the time the River Nile flooded, which was near the end of September. The flooding of the Nile was very important because without it, the people would not have been able to grow crops in the dry desert. At New Year, statues of the god, Amon and his wife and son were taken up the Nile by boat. Singing, dancing, and feasting was done for a month, and then the statues were taken back to the temple.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Babylonia :
Babylonia lay in what is now the country of Iraq. Their New Year was in the Spring. During the festival, the king was stripped of his clothes and sent away, and for a few days everyone could do just what they liked. Then the king returned in a grand procession, dressed in fine robes. Then, everyone had to return to work and behave properly. Thus, each New Year, the people made a new start to their lives. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Romans :
For a long time the Romans celebrated New Year on the first of March. Then, in 46 BC, the Emperor Julius Caesar began a new calendar. It was the calendar that we still use today, and thus the New Year date was changed to the first day of January. January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads. He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one. The Roman New Year festival was called the Calends, and people decorated their homes and gave each other gifts. Slaves and their masters ate and drank together, and people could do what they wanted to for a few days. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Celts :
The Celts were the people who lived in Gaul, now called France, and parts of Britain before the Romans arrived there. Their New Year festival was called Samhain. It took place at the end of October, and Samhain means 'summer's end'. At Samhain, the Celts gathered mistletoe to keep ghosts away, because they believed this was the time when the ghosts of the dead returned to haunt the living. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
