About New Year

New Year's Day is perhaps the oldest of all holidays and celebrated everywhere in the world. New Year's Day mark the end of one calendar year and beginning of another. The date of New Year's Day varies in countries across the globe this is because different countries and communities follow different calendars. Most countries in the world have adopted Gregorian Calendar and celebrate their New Year Day on January 1. It is the celebrations of this New Year Day which we shall discuss under this section.

Origin Of New Year
Origin of New Year dates back to the era of emperors. They thought of celebrating a special day which should dot a day for beginning and end of the year. First New Year celebrations were noticed in Mesopotamia around 2000 years. It was celebrated at the time of Equinox in mid-March by the Egyptians, Persians and Phoenicians while Greeks celebrated it on winter solstice.

January 1- an Official Date of New Year Celebrations
The Roman emperor Julius Caesar officially declared January 1 to be a New Year in 46 B.C. Romans worshiped God Janus who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward. The month of January was named after this Roman God and it gave an idea to the emperor to establish January as a gate to the New Year. It is said Caesar celebrated January 1 - New Year by ordering the revolutionary Jewish forces to route back.

People began New Year celebrations on January 1 after many years. They ritualized the beginning of the year by acting and re-enacting the world of the past before peace proliferated. People learned January as first month of the year and with this the tradition of following Julian calendar.

Abolition of Roman New Year Date
In the medieval period, pagan festivals were given more importance and March 25 was announced as the beginning of the New Year. March 25 was called the Annunciation Day as on this day Mary got the news that she should be impregnated.

Later, the King of England ensured that Jesus' birth December 25 should be commemorated as New Year.

Gregorian Calendar
About 500 years later, Pope Gregory XIII abolished the old Julian calendar and introduced Gregorian calendar which comprised of a leap year after every four years to maintain balance between seasons and calendar. Finally, in 1582, Gregorian calendar was set to celebrate New Year on the first day of January.

New Year Traditions
Tradition of welcoming the New Year by organizing feasts and celebrations has been carried forward since ancient times. Historians believe that New Year tradition were started by ancient Babylonians more than 4,000 years ago. Egyptians, Romans, Celts continued it and now the present generation cherish this tradition by celebrating New Year in the most extravagant manner.

New Year's Day Celebrations
To mark the auspicious beginning of New Year, people wear fresh new clothes and clean up their house. Many prefer to spend this day in the company of their family members and dear ones. People also visit their friends and exchange New Year Gifts and greetings with them. Restaurants, multiplexes and malls experience a busy time on New Year's Day as many prefer to spend the day by watching movies and eating out with dear ones. There is also a trend of going out for picnics or to exotic tourist destinations to celebrate the day.

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