New Year\'s Day

The New Year's Day is the first day of the year of a Calendrier given. By extension the term indicates also the celebrations of this first day.

For the solar calendars (like the Gregorian Calendar), the date of the New Year's Day is fixed one year on the other, whereas it is known as mobile in the case of the calendars lunisolar (like the Chinese Calendrier).

Difference between the calendars

Although the New Year's Days seldom fall at the same date from one calendar to the other, one notices a relative agreement between those of the moderate countries. Indeed, which was interpreted like the “disappearance” of the vegetation during the Hiver and its rebirth with the Printemps fed the very widespread myth of the cyclic rebirth of the year. Thus a great number of New Year's Days are celebrated between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox.

However, this is by no means universal, in particular in the tropical countries, where the cycle of the seasons is much less tangible.

One can quote in example the ancient Egypt, which (although it used a solar civil calendar) celebrated the New Year's Day on annual arrival of the Crue of the the Nile. This rising being due to the rains taking place far upstream (in the high plateaus), its date was entirely dependant on weather phenomena. However, it generally intervened at the same period.

Various calendars with the correspondence of the dates of their new year in the Gregorian calendar:

Origins

The new year is a festival of pagan origin which was born towards 46 before our era, under the impulse of Jules César which decided that on January 1st would be the New Year's Day. The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, god pagan of the doors and the beginnings. January owes its name in Janus, which had two faces: one forwards, the other backwards.

The nouvels years

Practices of the new year

Country of Western Europe

In Occident, it is of habit to celebrate the new year by a banquet the day before, i.e. on December 31st: it is the Réveillon of New Year's Eve. This meal generally includes/understands Foie gras and champagne. After this one, the festivals interfere dances and throws cotillions, balls and ribbons of papers… With Midnight, each one is embraced under the GUI, by wishing the best possible wishes, and while engaging in possible good intentions. Then, one offers the New Year's gifts, gifts of New Year's Day.

There exist however some characteristics according to the countries:

Germany

August 1st

Belgium

In the province of Liege, on January 1st, it is of tradition to eat sauerkraut in family, with a part under the plate or in the hand or the pocket to have money during all the year.

Spain

In Spain, one eats a Raisin with each of the 12 strokes of midnight. The women offer red plugs. Let us note that formerly at the Spanish Moslems, Morisques, and particularly in the area of Grenade and Alpujarras, one ate at the New Year's Day a grenade with the 12 strokes of midnight (Source: Karim Bouakline Al Gharnati). It is also the occasion for the grooms to plunge their rings in their goblets of champagne and to clink glasses.

Italy

With Naples, in Italy, one accommodates the New Year's Day by a particular habit, the evening of December 31st. This tradition consists in throwing by the window of old objects, symbols of the finished year. Thus movable, crockery, clothing, etc, take the way of the street to large “the misfortune ” of the street sweepers, who must spend the night to clean the streets. But it should be said that this tradition tends to disappear, because it presents certain dangers to the passers by.

The day of the New year, called Capodanno , the Italians have habit to eat special dishes, which are considered to bring richness and abundance. They are dishes containing seeds, for example Brioche S, or dishes of lenses or of the cakes coated with Miel.

Netherlands

Oudejaarsdag or the day of the old year (December 31st) is celebrated by an excess of fires of artifices at dawn and until late in the night, it is the only day of the year or it is authorized and they are spent on sale free only the 3 previous days.

Portugal

August 1st

Sweden

For the New Year's Day the Swedes have the habit to bathe in cold water. the guele which its grs BOF

America

Ecuador and Peru

In Ecuador and with the Peru, little before the new year, one manufactures mannequins of rags or papier-m4ach3e which represent the year which has just passed. One exposes these mannequins (muñecos) in front of at home until the 31 to the evening to midnight when one flaring these mannequins in the streets. One also explodes any kind of thing like detonators, fireworks, etc There exists also a superstition which says that if one carries a color in particular on oneself at the time of the 12 strokes of midnight, that will be able to bring chance in certain fields for the New Year's Day, such as for example the yellow for the money, the red for the love, etc In the same order of idea, that which wishes to travel all the year must run around its block of houses a bag to the hand at midnight crushes. The Spanish tradition to eat 12 grapes by making a wish during the twelve strokes of midnight is also observed. At the house one decorates the table with baskets with fruits, corn, of corn, rice, of cinnamon, yellow flowers.

the United States

  • With Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), the " parades of the mimes" ( Mummers Parades English ) each January 1st is held. Each association of the city, called " New Years Associations " be included in competition in four categories. It prepares during months of the costumes and scenes mobile. Approximately 15.000 people attend the procession each year. The first of these parades was organized in 1901.

Asia

Kampuchea

With the Kampuchea, the New year is celebrated during three days, of the 13 to the April 15th.

China

In China, it is enough to write and launch its wishes in a " tree with wishes ". It is necessary whereas this paper holds all the evening so that your wish is carried out. The Chinese new year also is celebrated by spectacular launched fires of artifices and explosions of detonators.

Korea

August 1st

Japan

The midnight supper of the New year (Ōmisoka) occurs in general in family, around a copious sprinkled meal of Saké. One drinks there a soup (Miso) special. Before midnight, the family leaves for the temple nearest to divide saké and to attend the striking of the 108 blows of gong announcing the passage to the New Year's Day (this figure is supposed to represent the number of sins accumulated in a heart throughout the year, and by this gesture one drives out fished one by one impure hearts. A little later each one joined its home and one lie down shortly after. The following day, the day of the New year, Japanese goes in the temples Shinto.

Russia

In Russia, one drinks champagne under the 12 strokes of midnight, after the 12th blow one opens the door or the window so that the new year enters the house.

Tibet

With the Tibet, the festivals of the New Year's Day (Losar) have an origin pre-Buddhist and goes back to the first king Tibetan Nyatri Tsenpo, from which the reign began in the year -127 at second century BC. The year of its establishment marks the first year of the calendar Tibetan. It is thus in the honor of the first king of Tibet that the new year Tibetan is celebrated, Losar. Losar, first Tibetan New Year's Day, coincides with the first day of the lunar New Year's Day. The date is selected in accordance with astrology Tibetan, matter studied within the framework of the studies in Médecine traditional Tibetan.

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