Celebration of each new year is probably one of the oldest holidays known to man. New Year wasn't always celebrated on the first of January. That's a relatively new trend, and even today is only true for some religions and cultures. Chinese New Year is celebrated on a different date each year. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated in September. India's new year, Diwali, is celebrated in October. Over 4,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians celebrated the new year in March, with feasting and parties outdoors.
It was the ancient Romans who selected January 1 as the beginning of a new year, but it did not catch on for quite a while, as many people continued to celebrate the new year with the first green of spring in March.
Today, in Persia, people might go on a picnic because in Iran (also called Persia) the New Year is still celebrated on the first day of spring, and is a great deal of fun. Haji Firuz, in a red hat and coat, plays his little drum and sings songs. The food is terrific. The mood wonderful! Persian New year is a 13 day good time, with a great deal of history and charm.
The Japanese, however, do celebrate New Year's on January 1st. But they also celebrate it on January 2nd and January 3rd. In Japan, this holiday is known as Oshogatsu (New Years Days). It is a three day celebration and one of the most important celebrations of the year. One of their traditions is to send friends and neighbors special new years cards al year long. These cards are not delivered by the post office right away. All new years cards are held, and on January 1st, all of these cards, all over Japan, are delivered all on the same day!
No matter what day or days are selected to celebrate a new year, some of the New Year's traditions we enjoy today have been around for quite a while!
It was the ancient Greeks, over 2,000 years ago, who started the tradition of honoring the first baby born in each new year.
Thousands of years ago, many people believed evil spirits roamed the earth who were especially dangerous at the start of a new year. To scare them away, people made lots of noise on New Year's Eve. Today, we still blow horns and shake rattles and make lots of noise at exactly midnight on New Year's Eve.
The custom of making a new year's resolution started in ancient times with the ancient Romans. The month of January was named for the ancient Roman god Janus. Janus was the god of doorways and beginnings. It seemed like a good time for the ancient Roman people to ask Janus for help to make themselves better in some way. Over time, that became the custom of new year's resolutions.
The new year, whenever it occurs, by all cultures, past and present, is celebrated as a time of rebirth, a chance to sweep out the old and to start anew.
Enjoy New Years any time of the year with these free, online, interactive games!