New Year
21637
220599829
2008-06-20T17:16:45Z
Ucla90024
6721890
{{Refimprove|date=January 2008}}
{{otheruses}}
[[Image:Sydney New Year's Eve 2.jpg|thumb|180px|right|[[Sydney]] leads the world in one of the first major New Year celebrations each year.]]
[[Image:London fireworks.jpg|thumb|180px|right|[[London]] too has a major celebration, near the [[London Eye]] and the [[Houses of Parliament]], two famous symbols of London.]]
[[Image:Day122ccountdownbb.JPG|thumb|180px|right|[[New York City, New York|New York]] times square in 2006.]]
The '''New Year''' is an event that happens when a [[culture]] celebrates the end of one [[year]] and the beginning of the next year. Cultures that measure yearly [[calendar]]s all have '''New Year''' celebrations.<ref>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.</ref>
==Modern new year celebrations==
{{main|New Year's Eve|New Year's Day}}
The most common modern dates of celebration are listed below, ordered and grouped by their appearance relative to the conventional Western calendar.
Many cities across the world celebrate the New Year. The celebrations usually include a [[firework]]s display, and other festivities. [[London]], for example, has a major fireworks display along the [[River Thames]], followed by a [[parade]] on [[New Year's Day]].
The [[Gregorian calendar]] is now used by many countries as the official calendar. This has meant that celebrations for the New Year have become much larger than before. Some countries even consider [[1 January]] to be a National Holiday.
[[Image:McCutcheonNY1905.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Baby New Year]] 1905 chases old 1904 into the history books in this cartoon by [[John T. McCutcheon]]]]
===January===
*[[1 January]]: The first official day of the year in the [[Gregorian calendar]] used by most [[country|countries]].
*In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], the civil New Year falls on [[14 January]] ([[1 January]] in the [[Julian Calendar]]). Many in the countries where Eastern Orthodoxy predominates celebrate both the Gregorian and Julian New Year holidays, with the Gregorian day celebrated as a [[civic holiday]], and the Julian date as the "[[Old New Year]]", a [[religious holiday]]. The Church's own [[Liturgical year#Western liturgical calendar|liturgical calendar]] begins on [[September 1]], thereby proceeding annually from the celebration of [[Jesus]]' birth in the winter ([[Christmas]]), through his death and resurrection in the spring (Pascha / [[Easter]]), to his Ascension in the summer, and the assumption of his mother ([[Dormition of the Theotokos]] / [[Virgin Mary]]) in the fall.
** Note: Eight of the twelve biggest Eastern Orthodox Churches have adopted the [[Revised Julian calendar]] administratively and the civic and religious holidays match. The orthodox population of [[Bulgaria]], [[Cyprus]], [[Egypt]], [[Greece]], [[Poland]], [[Romania]], [[Syria]] and [[Turkey]] celebrate the New Year on [[January 1]]. The orthodox churches of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Jerusalem]], [[Russia]], the [[Republic of Macedonia]] and [[Serbia]] still use the [[Julian Calendar]].
*The [[Chinese New Year]], also known as the [[Lunar New Year]], occurs every year on the [[new moon]] of the first lunar month, about four to eight weeks before [[Spring (season)|spring]] ([[Lichun]]). The exact date can fall anytime between [[21 January]] and [[21 February]] (inclusive) of the [[Gregorian Calendar]]. Each year is symbolized by one of 12 animals and one of [[Five elements (Chinese philosophy)|five elements]], with the combinations of animals and elements (or stems) cycling every 60 years. It is the most important Chinese holiday of the year.
*The [[Vietnamese New Year]] is the [[Tết|Tết Nguyên Đán]] which is for most times the same day as the Chinese New Year.
*The [[Tibet]]an New Year is [[Losar]] and falls from January through March.
===March===
* Nava (new) Varsha (year) is celebrated in India in various regions in March-April.
* [[Hola Mohalla]], New Year's Day in the [[Sikhism|Sikh]] [[Nanakshahi calendar]] is on [[March 14]].
*The [[Iran]]ian [[Iranian calendar|New Year]], called [[Nowruz]], is the day containing the exact moment of the [[vernal equinox]], commencing the start of the spring season. In 2008 this falls on [[20 March]].
*The [[Zoroastrian]] New Year coincides with the [[Iran]]ian New Year of [[Nowruz]]. It is celebrated by the [[Parsis]] in India and by Zoroastrians and Persians across the world.
*In the [[Bahá'í calendar]], the new year occurs on the vernal equinox on [[21 March]], and is called Naw-Rúz.
*In the Saka Calendar (Balinese-Javanese Calendar) the celebration of new year falls on 30rd of March in this year. the celebration gather of Nyepi, Balinese Hindu holiday.
*The [[Ugadi|Telugu New Year]] generally falls in the months of March or April. The people of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]] celebrate the advent of [[Hindu Calendar|Lunar year]] this day. This day is celebrated across entire Andhra Pradesh as UGADI(Meaning the Start of a new Year.).The first month is Chaitra Masam. Masam means month.
*Kashmiri Calendar, Navreh (New Year): 5083 Saptarshi/2064 Vikrami/2007-08 AD, March 19.
*[[Gudi Padwa]] is celebrated as the first day of the [[Hindu calendar|Hindu]] year by the people of [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. This day falls in March or April and coincides with [[Ugadi]]. (see: [[Deccan]])
*The Kannada New Year or [[Ugadi]] is celebrated by the people of [[Karnataka]], [[India]] as the beginning of a new year according to the [[Hindu Calendar]]. The first month of the new Year is [[Chaitra]].
*[[Sindh]]i festival of [[Cheti Chand]] is celebrated on the same day as [[Ugadi]]/[[Gudi Padwa]] to mark the celebration of the Sindhi New Year.
*The [[Thelema|Thelemic]] new year on [[March 20]] is usually celebrated with an invocation to [[Ra hoor khuit|Ra-Hoor-Khuit]], commemorating the beginning of the [[Aeon (Thelema)|New Aeon]] in 1904. It also marks the start of the twenty two day Thelemic holy season, which ends at 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 that believe the Thelemic New Year falls on either 19,20,21 March, depending on the Vernal Equinox, this is The Feast for the Equinox of the Gods which is held on the Vernal Equinox of each year to commemorate the founding of Thelema in 1904. In 1904 the Vernal Equinox was on a 21st and it was the day after [[Aleister Crowley]] ended his Horus Invocation that brought on the new Æon and thelemic New Year.
===April===
*The [[Assyria]]n New Year, called Rish Nissanu, occurs on [[1 April]]
*The [[Punjabi]] ([[Sikh]]) new year [[Vaisakhi]] is celebrated on [[13 April]] and celebrates the harvest.
*The [[Nepal]]i new year is celebrated in spring, on the first day of the lunar month [[Baisakh]]. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually falls between 12 and 15 April.
*The [[Thailand|Thai]] and Lao New Year are celebrated from [[13 April]] to [[15 April]] by splashing water.
*The [[Cambodian New Year]] and [[Lao New Year]] are celebrated from [[13 April]] to [[15 April]].
*The [[Bengal]]i New Year [[Pohela Baisakh]] is celebrated on [[14 April]] or [[15 April]] in a festive manner in both [[Bangladesh]] and [[West Bengal]], [[India]].
*The [[Sinhalese New Year]] falls In April (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 Avurudhu" 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. 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 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). During this time one is expected to keep off from all types of work and engage solely in religious activities.
*In India, the [[Puthandu|Tamil New Year]] and [[Vishu]] are celebrated on the same day respectively in the Southern Indian states of [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Kerala]]. They generally fall on [[13 April]] or [[14 April]]. The first month of the Tamil New Year is called Chithrai. Every year in the month of Chithrai (சித்திரை), in the temple city of [[Madurai]], the Chithrai Thiruvizha is celebrated in the [[Meenakshi Temple]]. A huge exhibition is also held, called Chithrai Porutkaatchi. In some parts of Southern [[Tamil Nadu]], it is also called Chithrai [[Vishu]]. The day is marked with a feast in [[Hindu]] homes and the entrance to the houses are decorated elaborately with [[kolam]]s. In some parts of [[Karnataka]], [[New year]] may be celebrated on this day, although it is most commonly celebrated on the day of [[Gudi Padwa]], the [[Maharashtrian]] new year as well.
===Northern fall===
*[[Rosh Hashanah]] ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] for 'head of the year') is a holiday commemorating the culmination of the [[Creation according to Genesis|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 the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Orthodox Church]], the New Year, called [[Neyrouz]], coincides with [[11 September]] in the Gregorian calendar between 1900 and 2099, with the exception of the year before Gregorian leap years, when Neyrouz occurs on [[12 September]]). The Coptic year 1723 began in September 2005. The [[Ethiopia]]n Orthodox New Year, called [[Enkutatash]], falls on the same date as Neyrouz; the [[Ethiopian calendar]] year 1999 thus began on [[September 11]] [[2006]].
*The [[Marwaris|Marwari]] New Year is celebrated on the day of the festival of [[Diwali]]
*The [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] New Year is usually celebrated the day after the festival of Diwali (which occurs in mid-fall - either October or November, depending on the [[Lunar calendar]]). The Gujarati New Year is synonymous with ''sud ekam'' of the ''Kartik'' month - the first day of the first month of Gujarati [[lunar]] calendar. Most other [[Hindu]]s celebrate the New Year in early spring, but the Gujarati farming community celebrates the New Year after Diwali to mark the beginning of a new fiscal year.
*Some [[neo-pagan]]s celebrate [[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.
===Variable===
*The [[Islamic]] [[Muslim New Year|New Year]] occurs on 1 [[Muharram]]. Since the [[Muslim calendar]] is based on 12 [[lunar month]]s amounting to about 354 days, the Gregorian date of this is about eleven days earlier each year. 2008 will see two Muslim New Years.
== Liturgical new year ==
On the [[Catholic liturgical calendar]] used by the [[Latin Rite]] of the [[Catholic Church]] (and other churches descended from it such as the [[Anglican]] and [[Lutheran]] Churches) the new liturgical year begins at 4pm on the Saturday preceding the fourth Sunday prior to December 25.
==Historical dates for the new year==
The ancient [[Roman calendar]] started the year on [[1 March]], which is still reflected in the names of some months which derive from [[Latin]]: [[September]] (seventh), [[October]] (eighth), [[November]] (ninth), [[December]] (tenth). The year used in dates during the [[Roman Republic]] and the [[Roman Empire]] was the consular year, which began on the day when consuls first entered office — probably [[1 March]] before 222 BC, [[15 March]] from 222 BC to 154 BC, but this event was moved to [[1 January]] in [[153 BC]].<ref>[http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Egypt/ptolemies/chron/roman/chron_rom_cal.htm Roman Dates] (at end)</ref> In 45 BC, [[Julius Caesar]] introduced the [[Julian calendar]], which continued to use [[1 January]] as the first day of the new year.
In the [[Middle Ages]] in [[Europe]] a number of significant feast days in the [[ecclesiastical calendar]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] came to be used as the [[Julian year (calendar)#Julian start of the year|beginning of the Julian year]]:
* In ''Christmas Style'' dating the new year started on [[25 December]]. This was used in [[Germany]] and [[England]] until the thirteenth century, and in [[Spain]] from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.
* In ''Annunciation Style'' dating the new year started on [[25 March]], the feast of the [[Annunciation]]. This was used in many parts of Europe in the Middle Ages, and was the style introduced by [[Dionysius Exiguus]] in AD [[525]]. Annunciation Style continued to be used officially in the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] until [[January 1]] [[1752]], except [[Scotland]] which changed to ''Circumcision Style'' dating on [[1 January]] [[1600]]. The rest of Great Britain changed to ''Circumcision Style'' on the [[1 January]] preceding the conversion in Great Britain from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar on 3/[[14 September]] [[1752]]. The UK tax year still starts on [[6 April]] which is [[25 March]] + 12 days, eleven for the conversion from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar plus a dropped leap day in 1900.
* In ''Easter Style'' dating, the new year started on [[Easter]] Saturday (or sometimes on [[Good Friday]]). This was used in [[France]] from the eleventh to the sixteenth century. A disadvantage of this system was that because Easter was a [[movable feast]] the same date could occur twice in a year; the two occurrences were distinguished as "before Easter" and "after Easter".
* In ''Circumcision Style'' dating, the new year started on [[1 January]], the [[Feast of the Circumcision of Christ]].
==Adoption of 1 January as beginning of year==
It took quite a long time before the adoption of the [[1 January]] as the start of the year became widespread. The years of adoption are as follows -
*1522 Venice
*1529 Sweden
*1544 Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
*1556 Spain, Portugal
*1559 Prussia, Denmark/Norway
*1564 France
*1576 Southern Netherlands
*1579 Lorraine
*1583 Protestant (northern) Netherlands
*1600 Scotland
*1700 Russia
*1721 Tuscany
*1752 Britain and its colonies
*1941 [[Calendar_era#Religious|Thailand]]; in 1888 in old Siam was April 6; in 1912 shifted to April 1.
[[1 March]] was the first day of the numbered year in the [[Republic of Venice]] until its destruction in 1797, and in [[Russia]] from 988 until 1492 (AM 7000). [[1 September]] was used in [[Russia]] from 1492 until the adoption of the [[Anno Domini|Christian era]] in 1700 via a December 1699 decree of Tsar [[Peter I of Russia|Peter I]] (previously, Russia had counted years since the creation of the world—[[Anno Mundi]]).
Since the 17th century, the Roman Catholic ecclesiastic year has started on the first day of [[Advent]], the Sunday nearest to [[St. Andrew's Day]] ([[30 November]]).
Autumnal equinox day (usually [[22 September]]) was "New Year's Day" in the [[French Republican Calendar]], which was in use from 1793 to 1805. This was ''primidi Vendémiaire'', the first day of the first month.
==Time zones==
Because of the division of the globe into [[time zone]]s, the new year moves progressively around the globe as the start of the day ushers in the New Year. The first time zone to usher in the New Year is just west of the [[International Date Line]]. At that time the time zone to the east of the Date Line is 23 hours behind, still in the previous day. The central [[Pacific Ocean]] island nation of [[Kiribati]] claims that its easternmost landmass, uninhabited [[Caroline Island]], is the first to usher in the New Year.<ref>{{cite web | author=Harris, Aimee | year=April, 1999| title=Millennium: Date Line Politics | format= | work=Honolulu Magazine| url=http://www.trussel.com/kir/dateline.htm | accessdate=2006-06-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=Greenwich| year=2008| title=Greenwich Meantime, Kiribati| format= | work=Kiribati Map| url=http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/pacific/kiribati/map.htm | accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref>
==See also==
{{portalpar|Holidays|Calendar icon.svg}}
*[[Nowruz]]
*[[Vietnamese New Year]]
*[[Chinese New Year]]
*[[Islamic New Year]]
*[[Japanese New Year]]
*[[Hogmanay]]
*[[Tamil New Year]]
*[[Thai New Year]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
<!-- Please consult both [[WP:LINKS]] and [[WP:COI]] before adding external links to this article -->
{{commonscat|New year celebrations}}
[[Category:Calendars]]
[[Category:New Year celebrations]]
[[be:Новы год]]
[[be-x-old:Новы год]]
[[bs:Nova Godina]]
[[bg:Нова година]]
[[ca:Cap d'any]]
[[cs:Nový rok]]
[[da:Nytår]]
[[de:Neujahr]]
[[et:Näärid]]
[[el:Πρωτοχρονιά]]
[[es:Año Nuevo]]
[[eo:Novjaro]]
[[fr:Jour de l'an]]
[[ko:신정]]
[[hi:नया साल]]
[[id:Tahun Baru]]
[[it:Capodanno]]
[[he:ראש השנה (פירושונים)]]
[[ka:ახალი წელი]]
[[lb:Neijoerschdag]]
[[ml:പുതുവത്സരം]]
[[ms:Tahun Baru]]
[[nl:Nieuwjaar]]
[[ja:元日]]
[[no:Nyttår]]
[[nn:Nyttår]]
[[ps:نوی کال]]
[[pl:Nowy Rok]]
[[pt:Ano-Novo]]
[[ro:Anul Nou]]
[[ru:Новый год]]
[[simple:New Year]]
[[sl:Novo leto]]
[[sr:Нова година]]
[[fi:Uusivuosi]]
[[sv:Nyår]]
[[tl:Bagong Taon]]
[[th:วันขึ้นปีใหม่]]
[[tr:Yılbaşı]]
[[uk:Новий рік]]
[[vls:Nieuwjoar]]
[[zh:元旦]]