NEW YEAR HISTORY

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Ancient New Year’s Celebrations
By Evan Andrews
Bet You Didn't Know: New Year's Eve
Did you know that New Year's has not always been celebrated on
January 1 ? Get the full story.
There’s nothing new about New Year’s. Festivals marking the beginning
of the calendar have existed for millennia, and a few are still actively
observed by millions of people around the world. These early New
Year’s celebrations often had important social, political and religious
implications, but in some cultures the holiday traditions were not so
different from the champagne, parties and fireworks of today. Get the
facts on the ways 5 ancient civilizations rang in the New Year.
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Babylonian Akitu
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Following the first new moon after the vernal equinox in late March, the
Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia would honor the rebirth of the
natural world with a multi-day festival called Akitu. This early New Year’s
celebration dates back to around 2000 B.C., and is believed to have been
deeply intertwined with religion and mythology. During the Akitu,
statues of the gods were paraded through the city streets, and rites
were enacted to symbolize their victory over the forces of chaos.
Through these rituals the Babylonians believed the world was
symbolically cleansed and recreated by the gods in preparation for the
new year and the return of spring.
One fascinating aspect of the Akitu involved a kind of ritual humiliation
endured by the Babylonian king. This peculiar tradition saw the king
brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal regalia
and forced to swear that he had led the city with honor. A high priest
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would then slap the monarch and drag him by his ears in the hope of
making him cry. If royal tears were shed, it was seen as a sign that
Marduk was satisfied and had symbolically extended the king’s rule.
Some historians have since argued that these political elements suggest
the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a tool for reaffirming the king’s
divine power over his people.
Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus
Roman coins depicting Janus
The Roman New Year also originally corresponded with the vernal equinox, but
years of tampering with the solar calendar eventually saw the holiday
established on its more familiar date of January 1. For the Romans, the month
of January carried a special significance. Its name was derived from the twofaced
deity Janus, the god of change and beginnings. Janus was seen as
symbolically looking back at the old and ahead to the new, and this idea
became tied to the concept of transition from one year to the next.
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Romans would celebrate January 1 by giving offerings to Janus in the
hope of gaining good fortune for the new year. This day was seen as
setting the stage for the next twelve months, and it was common for
friends and neighbors to make a positive start to the year by exchanging
well wishes and gifts of figs and honey with one another. According to
the poet Ovid, most Romans also chose to work for at least part of New
Year’s Day, as idleness was seen as a bad omen for the rest of the year.
Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet
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Ancient Egyptian culture was closely tied to the Nile River, and it appears
their New Year corresponded with its annual flood. According the
Roman writer Censorinus, the Egyptian New Year was predicted when
Sirius—the brightest star in the night sky—first became visible after a
70-day absence. Better known as a heliacal rising, this phenomenon
typically occurred in mid-July just before the annual inundation of the
Nile River, which helped ensure that farmlands remained fertile for the
coming year. Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival
known as Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” The New
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Year was seen as a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, and it was honored
with feasts and special religious rites.
Not unlike many people today, the Egyptians may have also used this as
an excuse for getting a bit tipsy. Recent discoveries at the Temple of Mut
show that during the reign of Hatshepsut the first month of the year
played host to a “Festival of Drunkenness.” This massive party was tied
to the myth of Sekhmet, a war goddess who had planned to kill all of
humanity until the sun god Ra tricked her into drinking herself
unconscious. In honor of mankind’s salvation, the Egyptians would
celebrate with music, sex, revelry and—perhaps most important of all—
copious amounts of beer.
Chinese New Year
One of the oldest traditions still celebrated today is Chinese New Year,
which is believed to have originated over 3,000 years ago during the
Shang Dynasty. The holiday began as a way of celebrating the new
beginnings of the spring planting season, but it later became entangled
with myth and legend. According to one popular tale, there was once a
bloodthirsty creature called Nian—now the Chinese word for “year”—
that preyed on villages every New Year. In order to frighten the hungry
beast, the villagers took to decorating their homes with red trimmings,
burning bamboo and making loud noises. The ruse worked, and the
bright colors and lights associated with scaring off Nian eventually
became integrated into the celebration.
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Festivities traditionally last 15 days and tend to center on the home and
the family. People clean their houses to rid them of bad luck, and some
repay old debts as a way of settling the previous year’s affairs. In order
to encourage an auspicious start to the year they also decorate their
doors with paper scrolls and gather with relatives for a feast. Following
the invention of gunpowder in the 10th century, the Chinese were also
the first to ring in the New Year with fireworks. Since Chinese New Year
is still based on a lunar calendar that dates back to the second
millennium BC, the holiday typically falls in late January or early
February on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Each year
is associated with one of 12 zodiacal animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit,
dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
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Nowruz
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While it is still celebrated in Iran and other parts of the Middle East and
Asia, the roots of Nowruz (or “New Day”) reach far back into antiquity.
Often called the “Persian New Year,” this 13-day spring festival falls on
or around the vernal equinox in March and is believed to have
originated in modern day Iran as part of the Zoroastrian religion. Official
records of Nowruz did not appear until the 2nd century, but most
historians believe its celebration dates back at least as far as the 6th
century B.C. and the rule of the Achaemenid Empire. Unlike many other
ancient Persian festivals, Nowruz persisted as an important holiday even
after Iran’s conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BC and the rise of
Islamic rule in the 7th century A.D.
Ancient observances of Nowruz focused on the rebirth that
accompanied the return of spring. Monarchs would use the holiday to
host lavish banquets, dispense gifts and hold audiences with their
subjects. Other traditions included feasts, exchanging presents with
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family members and neighbors, lighting bonfires, dyeing eggs and
sprinkling water to symbolize creation. One unique ritual that arose
around the 10th century involved electing a “Nowruzian Ruler”: a
commoner who would pretend to be king for several days before being
“dethroned” near the end of the festival. Nowruz has evolved
considerably over time, but many of its ancient traditions—particularly
the use of bonfires and colored eggs—remain a part of the modern
holiday, which is observed by an estimated 300 million people each
year.
http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/5-ancient-new-yearscelebrations
Happy New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day is a national holiday celebrated on January 1 st , the first
day of the New Year, following both the Gregorian and the Julian
calendar. This New Years’ holiday is often marked by fireworks, parades,
and reflection upon the last year while looking ahead to the future’s
possibilities. Many people celebrate New Year’s in the company of loved
ones, involving traditions meant to bring luck and success in the
upcoming year. Many Cultures celebrate this happy day in their own
unique way. Typically the customs and traditions of happy New Years
involve celebrating with champagne and a variety of different foods.
New Years marks a date of newly found happiness and a clean slate. For
many celebrating New Years, it is their opportunity to learn from the
prior year and make positive changes in their life.
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New Year’s Day Holiday History
New Year’s is one of the oldest holidays still celebrated, but the exact
date and nature of the festivities has changed over time. It originated
thousands of years ago in ancient Babylon, celebrated as an eleven day
festival on the first day of spring. During this time, many cultures used
the sun and moon cycle to decide the “first” day of the year. It wasn’t
until Julius Caesar implemented the Julian calendar that January 1 st
became the common day for the celebration. The content of the
festivities has varied as well. While early celebrations were more
paganistic in nature, celebrating Earth’s cycles, Christian tradition
celebrates the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ on New Year’s Day.
Roman Catholics also often celebrate Solemnity of Mary, Mother of
God, a feast honoring Mary. However, in the twentieth century, the
holiday grew into its own celebration and mostly separated from the
common association with religion. It has become a holiday associated
with nationality, relationships, and introspection rather than a religious
celebration, although many people do still follow older traditions.
New Year’s Day Resolutions and Traditions
While celebration varies all over the world, common traditions include:
Making resolutions or goals to improve one’s life.
Common resolutions concern diet, exercise, bad habits, and other
issues concerning personal wellness. A common view is to use the first
day of the year as a clean slate to improve one’s life.
A gathering of loved ones: Here you’ll typically find champagne,
feasting, confetti, noise makers, and other methods of merriment
Fireworks, parades, concerts.
Famous parades include London’s New Year’s Day Parade and the Rose
Parade in Pasadena, California. Superstitions concerning food or
visitors to bring luck.
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This especially includes circle-shaped foods, which symbolize
cycles. The reasoning behind superstitions is that the first day of
the year sets precedent for the following days. A common
superstition specific to New Year’s Day concerns a household’s
first visitor of the year—tradition states that if a tall, dark-haired
stranger is the first to walk through your door, called the First
Footer or Lucky Bird, you’ll have good luck all year. Also, if you
want to subscribe to superstition, don’t let anything leave the
house on New Year’s, except for people. Tradition say’s: don’t
take out the trash and leave anything you want to take out of
the house on New Year’s outside the night before. If you must
remove something, make sure to replace it by bringing an item
into the house. These policies of balance apply in other areas as
well—avoiding paying bills, breaking anything, or shedding tears.
Toasting
Toasts typically concern gratefulness for the past year’s
blessings, hope and luck or the future, and thanking guests for
their New Year’s company. In coastal regions, running into a
body of water or splashing water on one another, symbolizing
the cleansing, “rebirth” theme associated with the holiday.
However, many nations and cultures within them have their own
characteristic way of celebrating:
New Years Food
American Citizens often celebrate with a party featuring toasting,
drinking and fireworks late into the night before the New Year, where
the gathering counts down the final seconds to January 1st. Some might
even get a kiss at midnight. Many English speaking countries play “Auld
Lang Syne,” a song celebrating the year’s happy moments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al7ONqrdscY
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Americans often make resolutions
and watch the Time Square Ball
drop in New York City. Although
much of this celebration occurs the
night before, the merrymaking
typically continues to New Year’s
Day. Football is a common fixture
on New Year’s Day in America,
usually the day of the Rose Bowl.
Some foods considered “lucky” to
eat during the festivities include :
Circular shaped foods, Black-eyed peas, Cabbage, Pork
New Years France
The French typically celebrate New Year’s with a feast and a champagne
toast, marking the first
moments of New Year’s
Day with kisses under
the mistletoe, which
most other cultures
associate with Christmas
celebrations. The French
also consider the day’s
weather as a forecast for
the upcoming year’s
harvest, taking into
account aspects like
wind direction to predict the fruitfulness of crops and fishing.
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New Years Phillipines
In the Philippines , celebrations are very loud, believing that the noise
will scare away evil beings. There is often a midnight feast featuring
twelve different
round fruits to
symbolize good
luck for the twelve
months of the
year. Other
traditional foods
include sticky rice
and noodles, but
not chicken or fish because these animals are food foragers, which can
be seen as bad luck for the next year’s food supply.
New Years Greece
Greeks celebrate
New Year’s Day
with card games
and feasting. At
midnight, the
lights are turned
off, followed by
the Basil’s Pie,
which contains a
coin. Whoever
gets the piece of pie containing the coin wins luck for the next year.
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New Years Soviet Union
The Soviet
Union’s New
Year’s Day
celebrations
have been
greatly
affected by
the Union’s
history. As
religion was
suppressed
and Christmas
celebrations
were banned, New Year’s, or Novi God celebrations often include
Christmas traditions such as decorated trees, which were reconsidered
as New Year Fir Trees. As the suppression left, these traditions stayed
part of the New Year’s Day celebration. The holiday is also celebrated
with feasts, champagne, and wishes.
New Years Spain
Spaniards
celebrate
New Year’s
Day with the
custom of
eating twelve
grapes, each
eaten at a
clock-stroke
at midnight.
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Cold-water plunges
In colder countries close to water, such as Canada, parts of the United
States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, it is customary to
organize cold-water plunges. These plunges and races, sometimes
called a Polar Bear Plunge, often raise money for charity or awareness
for a cause.
For thousands of years, New Year’s has been a festival of rebirth and
reflection, allowing people all over the world to celebrate another great
year.
New Year’s Song
The song, “Auld Lang Syne,” is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost
every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At
least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700’s, it was first
published in 1796 after Burns’ death. Early variations of the song were
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sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition.
An old Scottish tune, “Auld Lang Syne” literally means “old long ago,” or
simply, “the good old days.” The lyrics can be found here
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=fs&p=3828
Auld Lang Syne Les jours anciens
Chanson de Nouvel An (Scots)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days o' auld lang syne?
(Chorus)
For auld lang syne, my Dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes
And pu't the gowans fine;
We've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidlet i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine
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We'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Faut-il oublier les vieux amis
et jamais ne les avoir à l'esprit ?
Faut-il oublier les vieux amis
Et les jours anciens ?
Refrain
Aux jours anciens, mon ami,
Aux jours anciens
Buvons encore un verre à la tendresse,
Aux jours anciens.
Nous avons couru tous deux dans les collines
Et avons cueilli de belles marguerites,
Nous avons vagabondé, les pieds fatigués,
Depuis les temps anciens.
Nous avons ramé tous deux sur la rivière,
Du matin au dîner,
Mais de grandes mers ont rugi entre nous
Depuis les temps anciens.
Et voici ma main, mon fidèle ami,
Et donne-nous ta main,
Et nous boirons volontiers
Aux jours anciens.
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Et pour sûr, tu paieras ta tournée,
Et pour sûr, ce sera la mienne,
Buvons encore un verre à la tendresse,
Aux jours anciens.
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