Did you know?...
Facts about New Year's Celebrations
Around the World
Not all countries celebrate New Year at the same time, nor in the same way. This is
because people in different parts of the world use different calendars. Long ago, people
divided time into days, months, and years. Some calendars are based on the movement of
the moon, others are based on the position of the sun, while others are based on both the
sun and the moon. All over the world, there are special beliefs about New Year.
Long Ago Festivals
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated at the time the River Nile flooded, which was
near the end of September. The flooding of the Nile was very important because without it,
the people would not have been able to grow crops in the dry desert.
At New Year, statues of the god, Amon and his wife and son were taken up the Nile by
boat. Singing, dancing, and feasting was done for a month, and then the statues were taken
back to the temple.
Babylonia
Babylonia lay in what is now the country of Iraq. Their New Year was in the Spring. During
the festival, the king was stripped of his clothes and sent away, and for a few days everyone
could do just what they liked. Then the king returned in a grand procession, dressed in fine
robes. Then, everyone had to return to work and behave properly. Thus, each New Year,
the people made a new start to their lives.
The Romans
For a long time the Romans celebrated New Year on the first of March. Then, in 46 BC, the
Emperor Julius Caesar began a new calendar. It was the calendar that we still use today,
and thus the New Year date was changed to the first day of January.
January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads.
He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one.
The Roman New Year festival was called the Calends, and people decorated their homes
and gave each other gifts. Slaves and their masters ate and drank together, and people
could do what they wanted to for a few days.
The Celts
The Celts were the people who lived in Gaul, now called France, and parts of Britain before
the Romans arrived there. Their New Year festival was called Samhain. It took place at the
end of October, and Samhain means 'summer's end'.
At Samhain, the Celts gathered mistletoe to keep ghosts away, because they believed this
was the time when the ghosts of the dead returned to haunt the living.
===================================
Celebrations in Modern Times
Jewish New Year
The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. It is a holy time when people think of the
things they have done wrong in the past, and they promise to do better in the future.
Special services are held in synagogues, and an instrument called a Shofar, which is made
from a ram's horn is played. Children are given new clothes, and New Year loaves are
baked and fruit is eaten to remind people of harvest time.
Muslim New Year
The Muslim calendar is based on the movements of the moon, so the date of New Year is
eleven days earlier each year.
Iran is a Muslim country which used to be called Persia. The people celebrate New Year on
March 21, and a few weeks before this date, people put grains of wheat or barley in a little
dish to grow. By the time of New Year, the grains have produced shoots, and this reminds
the people of spring and a new year of life.
Hindu New Year
Most Hindus live in India, but they don't all celebrate New Year in the same way or at the
same time.
The people of West Bengal, in northern India, like to wear flowers at New Year, and they
use flowers in the colors of pink, red, purple, or white. Women like to wear yellow, which is
the color of Spring.
In Kerala, in southern India, mothers put food, flowers, and little gifts on a special tray.
On New Year's morning, the children have to keep their eyes closed until they have been
led to the tray.
In central India, orange flags are flown from buildings on New Year's Day.
In Gujarat, in western India, New Year is celebrated at the end of October, and it is
celebrated at the same time as the Indian festival of Diwali. At the time of Diwali, small oil
lights are lit all along the roofs of buildings.
At New Year, Hindus think particularly of the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.
The Far East
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the New Year is called Tet Nguyen Dan or Tet for short. It begins between
January 21 and February 19, and the exact day changes from year to year. They believe
that there is a god in every home, and at the New Year this god travels to heaven. There he
will say how good or bad each member of the family has been in the past year.
They used to believe that the god traveled on the back of a fish called a carp, and today,
they sometimes buy a live carp, and then let it go free in a river or pond. They also believe
that the first person to enter their house at New Year will bring either good or bad luck.
Japan
In Japan, New Year is celebrated on January 1, but the Japanese also keep some beliefs
from their religion, which is called Shinto. To keep out evil spirits, they hang a rope of
straw across the front of their houses, and this stands for happiness and good luck.
The moment the New Year begins, the Japanese people begin to laugh, and this is supposed
to bring them good luck in the new year.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is celebrated some time between January 17 and February 19, at
the time of the new moon, and it is called Yuan Tan. It is celebrated by Chinese people all
over the world, and street processions are an exciting part of their New Year. The Festival
of Lanterns is the street processions, and thousands of lanterns are used to light the way
for the New Year.
The Chinese people believe that there are evil spirits around at New Year, so they let off
firecrackers to frighten the spirits away. Sometimes they seal their windows and doors with
paper to keep the evil spirits out.
If you are planning to watch the fireworks at your New Year's
party, "light things up" even more with iGlow(TM).
Facts about New Year's Celebrations
Around the World
Not all countries celebrate New Year at the same time, nor in the same way. This is
because people in different parts of the world use different calendars. Long ago, people
divided time into days, months, and years. Some calendars are based on the movement of
the moon, others are based on the position of the sun, while others are based on both the
sun and the moon. All over the world, there are special beliefs about New Year.
Long Ago Festivals
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated at the time the River Nile flooded, which was
near the end of September. The flooding of the Nile was very important because without it,
the people would not have been able to grow crops in the dry desert.
At New Year, statues of the god, Amon and his wife and son were taken up the Nile by
boat. Singing, dancing, and feasting was done for a month, and then the statues were taken
back to the temple.
Babylonia
Babylonia lay in what is now the country of Iraq. Their New Year was in the Spring. During
the festival, the king was stripped of his clothes and sent away, and for a few days everyone
could do just what they liked. Then the king returned in a grand procession, dressed in fine
robes. Then, everyone had to return to work and behave properly. Thus, each New Year,
the people made a new start to their lives.
The Romans
For a long time the Romans celebrated New Year on the first of March. Then, in 46 BC, the
Emperor Julius Caesar began a new calendar. It was the calendar that we still use today,
and thus the New Year date was changed to the first day of January.
January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads.
He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one.
The Roman New Year festival was called the Calends, and people decorated their homes
and gave each other gifts. Slaves and their masters ate and drank together, and people
could do what they wanted to for a few days.
The Celts
The Celts were the people who lived in Gaul, now called France, and parts of Britain before
the Romans arrived there. Their New Year festival was called Samhain. It took place at the
end of October, and Samhain means 'summer's end'.
At Samhain, the Celts gathered mistletoe to keep ghosts away, because they believed this
was the time when the ghosts of the dead returned to haunt the living.
===================================
Celebrations in Modern Times
Jewish New Year
The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. It is a holy time when people think of the
things they have done wrong in the past, and they promise to do better in the future.
Special services are held in synagogues, and an instrument called a Shofar, which is made
from a ram's horn is played. Children are given new clothes, and New Year loaves are
baked and fruit is eaten to remind people of harvest time.
Muslim New Year
The Muslim calendar is based on the movements of the moon, so the date of New Year is
eleven days earlier each year.
Iran is a Muslim country which used to be called Persia. The people celebrate New Year on
March 21, and a few weeks before this date, people put grains of wheat or barley in a little
dish to grow. By the time of New Year, the grains have produced shoots, and this reminds
the people of spring and a new year of life.
Hindu New Year
Most Hindus live in India, but they don't all celebrate New Year in the same way or at the
same time.
The people of West Bengal, in northern India, like to wear flowers at New Year, and they
use flowers in the colors of pink, red, purple, or white. Women like to wear yellow, which is
the color of Spring.
In Kerala, in southern India, mothers put food, flowers, and little gifts on a special tray.
On New Year's morning, the children have to keep their eyes closed until they have been
led to the tray.
In central India, orange flags are flown from buildings on New Year's Day.
In Gujarat, in western India, New Year is celebrated at the end of October, and it is
celebrated at the same time as the Indian festival of Diwali. At the time of Diwali, small oil
lights are lit all along the roofs of buildings.
At New Year, Hindus think particularly of the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.
The Far East
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the New Year is called Tet Nguyen Dan or Tet for short. It begins between
January 21 and February 19, and the exact day changes from year to year. They believe
that there is a god in every home, and at the New Year this god travels to heaven. There he
will say how good or bad each member of the family has been in the past year.
They used to believe that the god traveled on the back of a fish called a carp, and today,
they sometimes buy a live carp, and then let it go free in a river or pond. They also believe
that the first person to enter their house at New Year will bring either good or bad luck.
Japan
In Japan, New Year is celebrated on January 1, but the Japanese also keep some beliefs
from their religion, which is called Shinto. To keep out evil spirits, they hang a rope of
straw across the front of their houses, and this stands for happiness and good luck.
The moment the New Year begins, the Japanese people begin to laugh, and this is supposed
to bring them good luck in the new year.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is celebrated some time between January 17 and February 19, at
the time of the new moon, and it is called Yuan Tan. It is celebrated by Chinese people all
over the world, and street processions are an exciting part of their New Year. The Festival
of Lanterns is the street processions, and thousands of lanterns are used to light the way
for the New Year.
The Chinese people believe that there are evil spirits around at New Year, so they let off
firecrackers to frighten the spirits away. Sometimes they seal their windows and doors with
paper to keep the evil spirits out.
If you are planning to watch the fireworks at your New Year's
party, "light things up" even more with iGlow(TM).
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