New Year Festival



Every community has its share of festivals. People belonging to different faiths celebrate their religious festivals in keeping with their culture and traditions. However, the New Year festival of celebrating the first day of the year is perhaps the most widely celebrated festival.

Historical records reveal that the earliest instance of  New Year celebration happened in Mesopotamia in 2000 BCE. Here, in Babylonia, the new year Akitu was ushered in with the graceful new moon, right after the spring equinox (mid-March). Different civilizations celebrated the new year on different dates. Autumn Equinox (September 21) was the new year day for the Persians, Egyptians, and the Phoenicians. The Greeks chose to start their year with the winter solstice (December 21).




The Roman republican calendar initially began on 1st March, however, after 153 BCE, the date was set back to 1st of January and this continued till 46 BCE. The modern day custom of celebrating 1st January, as new years day, has its roots in the Gregorian calendar which found favor from the Roman Catholic Church in 1582. 


The New Year festivals are a combination of nostalgia and hope. New year’s eve, the last day of the previous year, is marked with fond memories of the year gone by and also acts as a prelude to a brand new year full of hope and opportunities. Ancient Greeks symbolically used a baby to represent the new year, while an old man denoted the year that just passed.




The month of January got its name from the Romans who named the month after their two-faced god Janus. One face looked forward the other looked back. 


The custom and tradition of making new year resolutions also have a rich history. The yearning to turn a new leaf and kick bad habits is still very much prevalent. The Babylonians promised to their gods at the beginning of each year that they would repay their debts and return all borrowed objects. The Romans made promises to their god Janus.
In English-speaking countries of the west, people sing at the stroke of midnight on new years eve to bid farewell to the old year. The Scottish ballad of "Auld Lang Syne" penned by Robert Burns, is sung in many countries of the English-speaking world. The song is set to a folk tune and is a one which poses the pertinent question – should old times be forgotten? A translation of the song in English is presented below:



Times Gone By 

Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And days of long ago!

Chorus:
For times gone by, my dear
For times gone by,
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For times gone by.

We two have run about the hillsides
And pulled the daisies fine,
But we have wandered many a weary foot
For times gone by.

We two have paddled (waded) in the stream
From noon until dinner time,
But seas between us broad have roared
Since times gone by.

And there is a hand, my trusty friend,
And give us a hand of yours,
And we will take a goodwill drink (of ale)
For times gone by!

And surely you will pay for your pint,
And surely I will pay for mine!
And we will take a cup of kindness yet
For times gone by!


(Source: http://english-zone.com/holidays/auldlang2.html)

Everything related to new year symbolizes hope and optimism. It is therefore only natural that food that is eaten during this time also symbolizes good fortune, happiness, and long life. Across the world, the dishes may vary but the yearning to invite good luck in the coming year is all pervasive. Dumpling, rice cakes and noodles dominate Asian dining tables during the new year while black-eyed peas are considered auspicious by a section of Americans. Cabbage and other green vegetables stand for prosperity in Europe.



A lot of people across the world believe that whatever is done on the first day of the year will act as a preamble to the rest of the year. It is, therefore, a common practice, to assemble at a place on new year’s eve with friends and family members. Nowadays it is common to see people coming together at an open congregation and participate in the countdown to the hour zero.




Religious communities like the Hindus and Buddhists make religious observations in the form of prayers to gods and presentation of gifts to monks as a ritual during the new year. The Japanese visit shrines of deities while the Chinese make offerings to gods. The Sinhalese population of Sri Lanka observes a neutral period or “nona gathe” which is a period of few hours before the end of an old year and the beginning of the new year.  




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