New Year Day is one of the most warmly celebrated occasion across the globe. Celebrated on the last day of every calendar year, the New Year's Day is the time to say good bye to the year passed and welcome the coming year. Those countries in the world which follow the Gregorian calendar marks the onset of New Year on January 1. As New Year is the end of a whole calendar year and beginning of the another one, it is celebrated with so much merriments. Partying, gifts, feasting, lots of fire work alongwith the greetings of Happy New Year with joy and prosperity to the near and dear ones forms an integral part of New Year celebrations.
The history of New Year goes 2000 years back in the ancient Mesopotamia where the Egyptians and the Persians used to celebrate New Year on 15th March. The dates of celebrations of New Year Day in the month of march was based upon the Roman calendar and this day was also associated with the onset of spring season and the annunciation of Jesus christ. The Roman calendar was a lunar calendar consisting of ten months starting with the month of March. Roman emperor Julius Caesar announced January 1 as an official date for the the celebrations of New Year. Around 500 years later, the new calendar by Pope Gregory XIII was introduced that is known as Gregorian Calendar and adopted by most of the countries in the world. Gregorian Calendar is a solar calendar which starts from the month of January and have 365 days (366 days in a leap year) in full year.
The tinkling of bells and jingles on Christmas Day, which is celebrated on 25th December every year, set the stage for another grand occasion of the night of December 31 called New Year's Eve. The New Year Eve is enjoyed with lots of fireworks, dancing and singing till the stroke of midnight to mark the beginning of new year. People greet each other with the warm wishes of Happy New Year and cutting of Cakes and enjoying the sips of champagne in the joy are among the main celebrations of the New Year Eve.
Here is the list of dates on which New Year Day is celebrated in the different countries:
Every religion in India has their own ways and dates to celebrate New Year's Day which is observed as per their own calendars based on the appearance of sun and moon.
New Year is the most popular international occasion that since its inception, has transformed itself into a global socio-cultural event of merriments. People on the eve of New Year indulge into fun filled activities like dancing, singing, partying with near and dear ones till the midnight when the clock hits 12 and marks the beginning of new year. Everyone greets each other with the wishes of Happy New Year and sending greetings cards online, messaging new year greetings also form an integral part of New Year Celebrations in the modern days. Also people share their deep care and regards with their loved ones in form of gifts like flowers, chocolates and cakes.
There has been an ages old tradition of having New Year Resolution on January 1 which the people plans to fulfill in the coming year. Some of the most popular new year resolutions are to quit alcohol or smoking and starting good habits like losing weight, getting health conscious, being punctual and so on.
In the modern times various sources of media like television, newspaper, radio and magazines have started to wrap up the major events having an importance of national and international interest the of year passed.