Happy New Year. Only a few days away now.
For the ultra-competitive Kiwis they may
brag that the first major city to see the beginning of the new year is the city
of Auckland which is only is 496.3 kilometres west of the International Date
Line.
For those who thought that New Year comes
once in a year, think again. You will be surprised to learn that New Years are
celebrated several times all through the 12 months of the year.
January 1 - New Year's Day – is the world's
most widely celebrated holiday. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the
United States, India and many other countries celebrate their New Year on this
date. It is also the Japanese New Year's Day known as Gantan-sai or Oshogatsu.
January 7 is the Egyptian New Year's Day
(Sekhmet) and the Mahayana Buddhist New Year is celebrated on the first full
moon day in January.
January 11 is the Old Scottish New Year
January 14 is the Eastern Orthodox New
Year's Day
January 21 is the Celtic New Year, and
close to this is the Korean New Year (Sol-Nal). The Lunar New Year being
celebrated at sunset on the day of the second new moon after the winter
solstice.
The Vietnamese New Year or Tet is
celebrated between January 17th and February 19th at the time of the new moon.
The Tibetan New Year also called Losar is
celebrated in late January or early February at the time of the new moon. Some
Tibetans celebrate their New Year a month later than the Lunar New Year as
Ugyen Thinley Dorje.
Muharram is the first month of the Muslim
year and its first day is celebrated as Islamic New Year's Day sometime during
February.
March 1 is the Roman New Year also called
the Festival of Mars or Feriae Marti, honouring Mars, the Roman god of war.
March 14 is the Sikh New Year Day. It is
the first day of Chet, the first month of the Sikh calendar.
The Baha'i New Year (Naw-Ruz) is always
celebrated on the 21st March.
Also during March, The Hindu New Year known
as Bikrami Samvat falls on the day following the new moon on or after the
spring equinox.
The Persian or Iranian New Year (Noruz) is
always held on the spring equinox on March 21st. On thsat same day, the
Assyrian New Year, called Rish Nissanu, occurs on the vernal equinox,
commencing the start of the spring.
The Zoroastrian New Year or Jamshedi is
always on March 21st.
Telugu New Year's Day also known as Ugadi
is celebrated on the day after the new moon following the vernal equinox (first
day of spring).
Before the Calendar Adjustment Act of 1751,
Great Britain and its U.S. colonies celebrated New Year's Day on March 25
because it is Lady Day as well as the Feast of the Annunciation. This is
referred to in the literature as the Old British New Year.
The Tharavadin Buddhists of Thailand,
Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Lao celebrate the New Year on the first full
moon day in April with three days of celebration.
April 14 is Solar New Year (Songkran) -
This new year's day is celebrated in many southeast Asia countries as Baisakhi
in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka (or Varushapirapu); Songkran in Thailand;
Boum Pimay or Bun-Pi-Mai-Lao in Laos; Thingyan in Myanmar; and Bon Chol Chhnam
in Cambodia. Like the Nepali New Year’s Day, the exact time on the 13th or 14th
is determined by astrologers.
April 13 or April 14 is also the Sikh New
Year’s Day (Vaisaki or Baisakhi). On this day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh
created the Brotherhood of the Pure.
Sri Lankans celebrate their national New
Year's Day (Puththandu in Tamil and Aluth Avurudhu in Sinhala). The specific
time of the New Year is set by astrologers on the 13th or 14th. The Tamil New
Year and Vishu are celebrated on the same day respectively in the Southern
Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They generally fall on 13 April or 14
April. The first month of the Tamil New Year is called Chithrai.
The Thai New Year is celebrated from 13
April to 15 April by throwing water.
Also during this time is the Cambodian New
Year and Lao New Year, and the Bengali New Year called Pohela Baisakh is
celebrated on 14 April or 15 April in both Bangladesh and West Bengal.
Parsi New Year Day also known as Pateti is
celebrated on April 23 (April 22nd on leap years), this is one of the local new
years celebrated in India.
The Babylonian New Year begins the
Nabonassar Era Year 2752 on April 25th (24th on leap years).
The
Buddhist New Year also known as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti is May
26. Some Buddhist sects celebrate Budhha's birthday on the eighth day of the
fourth lunar month as their New Year's Day, although some sects now celebrate
Buddha's birthday on April 8th.
Some versions of the ancient Greek calendar
celebrated the new year on the summer solstice. June 21
Armenian New Year - The Armenian Era, an
old way of measuring time, began on July 9, 552.
On the new moon in late August or early
September (the first day of the Hindu month of Bhadon), the southern Indian
state of Kerala celebrates the Malayalam New Year.
The Zoroastrian New Year (Shenshai) is
always on August 23rd, for those Zoroastrians who follow the Shenshai calendar.
September the first marks the New Year for
some Russian Orthodox Christians.
September 10 is the African New Year
Ethiopian New Years Day is September 11 (or
12th in leap years). This is a national holiday in Ethiopia.
Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year begins on
the first day of the Jewish month of Tishri (Tishrei), is also called the Day
of Judgment and Remembrance. This is September 16th.
October 3rd. is the Moroccan New Year's Day
The Hindu New Year (Diwali) is celebrated
on the new moon in late October or early November. It is considered by some as
one of the Hindu New Years (sometimes celebrated the day after Diwali as Vikram
New Year). The Marwari New Year is also celebrated on the day of the festival
of Diwali
The Jain New Year is celebrated on the day
after Diwali. This is the New Year's day for the Jain religion. It is the day
after of the attainment of Moksha by Mahavir Swami and the day when his chief
disciple Gautam Swami attained Kevalgnan.
The Gujarati New Year is also usually
celebrated the day after the festival of Diwali (which occurs in mid-fall -
either October or November, depending on the Lunar calendar.
The Sikkimese New Year or Losoong is
celebrated from the first to fifth day of the Lunar 11th month. It is also
called Sonam Losar or the Farmer's New Year and occurs in December.
So whenever you celebrate the New Year, if
you do, May God grant you a new beginning.
A prayer: Precious
Lord, You are the specialist when it comes to new things. You give us new
mornings, new life, new joy, new peace, new hearts and new beginnings. As this
tumultuous year draws to a close, once again you give us the gift of a new
year. We praise you for your leading throughout this past year a time of joy
with babies born and precious souls born again. A time of sorrow with natural
disasters, war and the loss of loved ones. A time to reflect and a time to look
forward. We rejoice to know that, by placing the future in your hands we can be
secure whatever this groaning world throws at us; safe in the Everlasting Arms.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
