By Jacqueline Kelly –
New Year is a beginning of the New Calendar Year and you open another year of life. New Year is always a joyous occasion when everyone is excited and looks forward to a year full of challenges, resolutions and promises, of prosperity and good times with their loved ones. It is an excellent time to reflect, plan and decide what you are going to do and ponder about who you want to be in 2022.
The earliest known records of the New Year festival dates from about 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia, wherein Babylonia the New Year [Akitu] began with the New Moon after the Spring Equinox [mid-March] and in Assyria with the New moon nearest the Autumn Equinox [mid-September].
For the early Egyptians, Phoenicians and the Persians the year began with the Autumn Equinox [September 21] and early Greeks it began with the Winter Solstice [December 21].
For the nation of Israel, New Year began in Autumn. It was in the month of Tishri, the first month of the civil calendar between September 6 and October 5 and the seventh month of the religious calendar [Leviticus 23: 24-25]
The Biblical name for the day of the Jewish New Year is Yom Teruah which means a day of shouting. It is a High Holy Day. It is commonly called Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year”. It is a day of resting and remembering all that the Lord has done for us.
The name January is derived from Janus, the Roman God for beginnings. The year used to have ten months and March was considered as the first month of the year. This practice was until 153 BCE. The second Roman King Numa Pompilius, added two more months to the year, after which January became the first month.
January 1, is also the first day of the year as part of the Julian calendar. Julius Caesar made changes to the Roman Calendar in 46 BCE. The Julian calendar was not recognized in many Christian countries. They started to mark March 25 or December 25 based on religious significance i.e Christmas, Annunciation respectively. This was rectified by Pope Gregory XIII in October 1582 as doubts emerged regarding the inaccuracy in the calculation of the leap years.
The Gregorian Calendar adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in 1582, restored January 1, as New Year’s Day, and many countries followed suit.
Scotland in 1660
Germany and Denmark, around 1700
England in 1752
Japan replaced its traditional lunisolar calendar with the Gregorian one in 1872, while China adopted it in 1912. Russia in 1918.
In some countries like Ethiopia, January 1, is not considered the New Year. As per, Korean culture, the New Year is around January 21- February 20, which begins with the first new moon. Tibetans celebrate New Year in the month of February. Thailand in March or April.
Muslim calendar has 354 days in each year, and the New Year begins with the month of Muharram.
India has different New Years as per different regions. The Saka calendar which begins with the Chaitra month [March 21/22] is used along with the Gregorian calendar for most official purposes.
Different countries around the world celebrate and ring in the New Year in different ways, in the company of friends and family.
First to Usher in the New Year
Parts of Kiribati, an island nation in the Central Pacific Ocean including the Line Islands and South Pacific Island of Tonga.
Last to Usher in the New Year
Tiny outlying islands of the United States [Baker Island, an uninhabited part of the United States Minor Island] and American Samoa. This island is approximately 3,090 km Southwest of Honolulu.
In some places, New Year’s Eve means eating “lucky” foods.
- Spain, Portugal and Latin America it is 12 grapes or raisins. In Madrid and Barcelona, people gather in main squares to eat their grapes together and pass around bottles of Cava.
- Italy- 12 spoonfuls of lentils, one with each of the 12 chimes of the clock at midnight.
- French usher in the New Year with a stack of pancakes.
- Germans prepare marzipan shaped into a pig for luck.
- Netherlands, people eat doughnuts and ring-shaped foods.
- Estonians eat as many as7, 9 or even 12 times on New Year’s Eve, as they believe for each meal consumed, the person gains the strength of that many men the following year.
Traditions
In Greece, before the holiday, households will hang pomegranates from their door, thought to be a sign of luck, prosperity and fertility. Then, on New Year’s Eve just before midnight, everyone will shut off the lights and leave the house so, they can send a lucky individual to be the first to reenter the house, right foot first. When done correctly, it brings the family good fortune for the year. Later, a second person will take the pomegranate in their right hand and smash it, against the door to see just how much luck – the more of the juicy seeds that spill out, the more luck the New Year will bring. The Greek custom is known as Podariko.
An onion is traditionally hung on the front door of homes on New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day, Parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion.
The baby as a symbol of New Year dates to the Ancient Greeks, with an old man representing the year that has passed.
In Switzerland, the Swiss drop a dollop of cream on the floor, which is believed to bring luck, wealth and peace in the coming year.
In Columbia, residents carry empty suitcases around the block.
In Japan, visiting a temple for lucky charms. Shogatsu [New Year] is celebrated with a visit to the local temple to exchange last year’s lucky charms for new ones. People feast on traditional New Year’s foods, such as prawns [believed to bring long life] and herring roe [to boost fertility].
In Italy, Spain, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela, wearing red underwear, thought to bring money. Italians and Spaniards both wear red underwear for luck. However, Spaniards insist the underwear must also be new to be lucky. Italians, throw old items out of the window to symbolize the coming of new things in the New Year.
In Catalonia, a region in Northern Spain, a special character appears on the last day of the year. L’home dels nassos, or the man with many noses, has as many noses as there are days left in the year and he grants wishes, if you can find him. Children are encouraged to look for him, not realizing that on the last day of the year, he has only one nose left and is, therefore, hard to spot.
In Ireland, the Irish bang the outside walls of their houses with bread to keep away bad luck and spirits, and begin the year with a spotless, freshly cleaned home. But, one of the most well-known is setting an additional plate out at the dinner table for any loved ones lost in the previous year.
In Denmark, at midnight, Danes will jump off a chair or sofa- literally jumping in the New Year. It is seen as good luck if you do and bad luck if you do not jump.
In Germany, the New Year is a time of great importance. “New Year Boxes” are given to the tradespeople. On New Year’s Eve there are dances or parties. At the stroke of midnight there is a general cry of “Prosit Neu Jahr!” and drink to the health of all present. In Germany, Finland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Turkey, it is customary to heat small pieces of lead, then cast them in cold water and make a prediction for the year based on the shapes that form.
In present times, kits throughout German – speaking countries include tin [rather than lead] figurines to melt. For e.g. if a ball forms, luck will roll your way.
In Russia, they say thank-you to the past year by remembering its most important events during the hours leading up to midnight, and they use 12 seconds of silence before the stroke of midnight to make wishes.
In Scotland, Hogmanay is an end – of – year party that starts on December 30, and ends on New Year’s Day. The most common tradition is that of “first-footing” which involves being the first to visit friends and neighbours, often with a symbolic gift in hand.
In Edinburgh, pipers and drummers lead torch wielding locals on a procession through out town on December 30 and on New Year’s Day, the party ends with a bracing swim in the chilly waters of the Firth of Forth.
In Philippines, many families display piles of fruits on their dining tables and some eat exactly 12 round fruits [grapes being the most common] at mid-night. Many also wear polka dots for luck. You will find round shapes all over the Philippines on New Year’s Eve as representatives of coins to symbolize prosperity in the coming year.
In France, January 1st is a far more festal day than Christmas. It is on that day that presents are given, family gatherings are held and calls paid. In the morning, children find their stockings filled with gifts. They then rush off to offer good wishes to their parents. In the afternoon, the younger people call upon their older relations. In the evening, all meet for dinner at the home of the head of the family.
In Lithuania, on New Year’s Eve, nine sorts of things – money, cradle, bread, ring, death’s head, old man, old woman, ladder and key – are baked of dough. These are laid under nine plates. Everyone, has three grabs at them. What he gets will fall to his lot during the year.
In Panama, it is a tradition to burn effigies [munecos] of well-known people such as television stars and political figures to drive off evil spirits for a fresh New Year’s start. The effigies are meant to represent the old year.
In New York, up to the middle of the 19th century, New Year’s Day was devoted to the universal interchange of visits. Every door was thrown wide open. It was a breach of etiquette to omit any acquaintance in these annual calls, when old friendships were renewed and family differences amicably settled. A hearty welcome was extended even to “strangers of presentable appearance”.
The New Year calling to offer good wishes, in some respects recalls the widespread custom of ‘first-footing”. This is based on the belief that the character of the first visitor on New Year’s Day affects the welfare of the household during the year.
Common traditions throughout the U.S. include singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to greet the New Year, and eating black-eyed peas for good luck.
In Brittany, the wish exchanged takes a beautiful religious form- “ I wish you a good year and Paradise at the end of your days.”
No matter how the year ends and the challenges you faced in the past two years, with the outbreak of Covid-19 and the loss of many loved ones, just remember that your New Year is what you make it. You can make 2022 a better year by keeping the LORD in the forefront of your thoughts.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!