newyear

New Year is the annual moment at which a calendar year begins. In most countries that use the Gregorian calendar, January 1 marks the start of the year, and New Year’s Day is a public holiday in many places. Some cultures observe different days or calendars for the new year, aligned with lunar, lunisolar, or solar cycles.

Historically, the idea of a new year dates back to ancient civilizations. In the Roman calendar, January 1 became the start of the year under Julius Caesar in 46 BCE, named for the god Janus, who looks to the past and the future. The Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582 to refine the calendar’s accuracy, kept January 1 as the start of the year in most of the world, though adoption occurred gradually across regions.

New Year celebrations commonly include late-night festivities on December 31 and midnight observances on January 1, with fireworks, concerts, and public gatherings. Traditions vary by country but often involve resolutions to change behavior or improve health, as well as customary foods or rituals tied to renewal or good luck.

Global variations exist alongside the January New Year. Examples include Chinese New Year, which falls on a date around late January or February and is tied to the lunar calendar; Nowruz, the Persian New Year at the vernal equinox; Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year; and regional new years in India such as Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, and Vaisakhi, reflecting local lunisolar calendars. In the Islamic world, the Islamic New Year marks the start of Muharram in the Hijri calendar, shifting relative to the solar year.