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In 46 BC Julius Caesar extend year to 445 days (annus confusionis). The normal number of 355 days had already been increased by the addition of the ordinary 23 days, inserted after February 23. As many as 67 days, divided into two menses intercalares, were now interposed between November and December. This year thus consisted of 15 months. After this “year of confusion,” the new calendar really started. Since 153 BC, January 1 was the day new consuls in Rome took office and Romans had commonly used the name of the two consuls to identify a specific year in question. Thus, by officially making January 1 start the New Year, it simply lined up with the consular year. One proposed reason for this switch is that January is thought by most to have been named after the god of transitions and beginnings, Janus, during the reign of the second King of Rome, Numa Pompilius, who lived from 753–673 BC. Thus, it was naturally enough for the Romans to eventually decide to make the switch. However, whether this is the reason or not is very much up for debate. There is no consensus on the question.<ref>Michels, A.K. ''The Calendar of the Roman Republic'' (Princeton, 1967), p. 97-8.</ref> After Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 46 BC as the Julian Calendar and was subsequently murdered, the Roman Senate voted to deify him on 1 January 42 BC,<ref>{{cite book |last=Warrior |first=Valerie |year=2006 |title=Roman Religion |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=110 |isbn=0-521-82511-3}}</ref> in honor of his life and his institution of the new rationalized calendar.<ref>Courtney, G. ''Et tu Judas, then fall Jesus'' (iUniverse, Inc 1992), p. 50.</ref> Dates in March, coinciding with the March Equinox, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of ''''''Jesus Christ'''''', or other Christian feasts were used throughout the Middle Ages as the first day of the new year, although their calendars nonetheless often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December. | In 46 BC Julius Caesar extend year to 445 days (annus confusionis). The normal number of 355 days had already been increased by the addition of the ordinary 23 days, inserted after February 23. As many as 67 days, divided into two menses intercalares, were now interposed between November and December. This year thus consisted of 15 months. After this “year of confusion,” the new calendar really started. Since 153 BC, January 1 was the day new consuls in Rome took office and Romans had commonly used the name of the two consuls to identify a specific year in question. Thus, by officially making January 1 start the New Year, it simply lined up with the consular year. One proposed reason for this switch is that January is thought by most to have been named after the god of transitions and beginnings, Janus, during the reign of the second King of Rome, Numa Pompilius, who lived from 753–673 BC. Thus, it was naturally enough for the Romans to eventually decide to make the switch. However, whether this is the reason or not is very much up for debate. There is no consensus on the question.<ref>Michels, A.K. ''The Calendar of the Roman Republic'' (Princeton, 1967), p. 97-8.</ref> After Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 46 BC as the Julian Calendar and was subsequently murdered, the Roman Senate voted to deify him on 1 January 42 BC,<ref>{{cite book |last=Warrior |first=Valerie |year=2006 |title=Roman Religion |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=110 |isbn=0-521-82511-3}}</ref> in honor of his life and his institution of the new rationalized calendar.<ref>Courtney, G. ''Et tu Judas, then fall Jesus'' (iUniverse, Inc 1992), p. 50.</ref> Dates in March, coinciding with the March Equinox, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of ''''''Jesus Christ'''''', or other Christian feasts were used throughout the Middle Ages as the first day of the new year, although their calendars nonetheless often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December. | ||
In 567 AD the Council of Tours abolished January 1 as the beginning of the year. At various times and in various places throughout medieval | In 567 AD the Council of Tours abolished January 1 as the beginning of the year. At various times and in various places throughout medieval Christian Europe, the new year was celebrated on Dec. 25, the birth of Jesus; March 1; March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation; and Easter. | ||
Among the 7th century pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands, it was the custom to exchange gifts on the first day of the new year. This custom was deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemish and Dutch: "(Do not) make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another | Among the 7th century pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands, it was the custom to exchange gifts on the first day of the new year. This custom was deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemish and Dutch: "(Do not) make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another Yule custom]."<ref>Quoting the ''Vita'' of St. Eligius written by Ouen.</ref> However, on the date that European Christians celebrated the New Year, they exchanged Christmas presents because New Years' Day fell within the twelve days of the Christmas season in the Western Christian liturgical calendar;<ref name="Forbes2008">{{cite book|last=Forbes|first=Bruce David|title=Christmas: A Candid History|date=1 October 2008|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520258020|page=114|quote=Some people referred to New Year's gifts as "Christmas presents" because New Year's Day fell within the twelve days of Christmas, but in spite of the name they still were gifts given on January 1.}}</ref> the custom of exchanging Christmas gifts in a Christian context is traced back to the Biblical Magi who gave gifts to the Child Jesus.<ref name="Collins2010">{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Ace|title=Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas|date=4 May 2010|publisher=Harper Collins|isbn=9780310873884|page=88|quote=Most people today trace the practice of giving gifts on Christmas Day to the three gifts that the Magi gave to Jesus.}}</ref><ref name="Berking1999">{{cite book|last=Berking|first=Helmuth|title=Sociology of Giving|date=30 March 1999|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=9780857026132|page=14|quote=The winter solstice was a time of festivity in every traditional culture, and the Christian Christmas probably took its place within this mythical context of the solar cult. Its core dogma of the Incarnation, however, solidly established the giving and receiving of gifts as the structural principle of that recurrent yet unique event. 'Children were given presents as the Jesus child received gifts from the magi or kings who came from afar to adore him. But in reality it was they, together with all their fellow men, who received the gift of God through man's renewed participation in the divine life' (ibid.: 61).}}</ref> | ||
In | In 1582, the Gregorian calendar reform restored January 1 as New Year's Day. When the new calendar was put in use, the error accumulated in the 13 centuries since the Council of Nicaea was corrected by a deletion of 10 days. The Julian calendar day Thursday, 4 October 1582 was followed by the first day of the Gregorian calendar, Friday, 15 October 1582 (the cycle of weekdays was not affected), So January 1 is after Winter Solstice 10 days now. Although most Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar almost immediately, it was only gradually adopted among Protestant countries. The British, for example, did not adopt the reformed calendar until 1752. Until then, the British Empire —and their American colonies— still celebrated the new year in March. | ||
Most nations of | Most nations of Western Europe officially adopted 1 January as New Year's Day somewhat before they adopted the Gregorian Calendar. In Tudor England, New Years Day, along with [[Christmas Day]] and Twelfth Night, was celebrated as one of three main festivities among the twelve days of Christmastide.<ref name="Sim2011">{{cite book|last=Sim|first=Alison|title=Pleasures and Pastimes in Tudor England|date=8 November 2011|publisher=The History Press|isbn=9780752475783|page=85|quote=Most of the twelve days of Christmas were saint's days, but the main three days for celebration were Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Epiphany, or Twelfth Night.}}</ref> There, until the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752, the first day of the new year was the Western Christian Feast of the Annunciation, on 25 March, also called "Lady Day". Dates predicated on the year beginning on 25 March became known as ''Annunciation Style'' dates, while dates of the Gregorian Calendar commencing on 1 January were distinguished as ''Circumcision Style'' dates,<ref name="Harris2011">{{cite book|last=Harris|first=Max|title=Sacred Folly: A New History of the Feast of Fools|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GOMAn_rIUIAC&pg=PA35|accessdate=31 December 2012|date=2011-03-17|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=9780801449567|page=35}}</ref> because this was the date of the Feast of the Circumcision, the observed memorial of the eighth day of Jesus Christ's life after his birth, counted from the latter's observation on Christmas, 25 December. Pope Gregory XIII christened 1 January as the beginning of the new year according to his reform of the Catholic Liturgical Calendar.<ref name="Trawicky2000">{{cite book|last=Trawicky|first=Bernard|title=Anniversaries and Holidays|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gDbKexa1jfcC&pg=PA222|accessdate=31 December 2012|edition=5th|date=2000-07-01|publisher=American Library Association|isbn=9780838906958|page=222}}</ref> | ||
==Traditional and modern celebrations and customs== | |||
===New Year's Eve=== | |||
{{Main|New Year's Eve}} | |||
[[Image:OperaSydney-Fuegos2006-342289398.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Sydney contributes to some of the major New Year celebrations each year.]] | |||
January 1 represents the fresh start of a new year after a period of remembrance of the passing year, including on radio, television, and in newspapers, which starts in early December in countries around the world. Publications have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. In some cases publications may set their entire year work alight in hope that the smoke emitted from the flame brings new life to the company. There are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year. | |||
This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s has also become an occasion to celebrate the night of December 31, called New Year's Eve. There are fireworks at midnight at the moment the new year arrives (a major one is in Sydney, Australia). Watchnight services are also still observed by many.<ref name="BOW">{{cite web|url=http://www.interpretermagazine.org/interior.asp?ptid=43&mid=11612| title = Watch Night services provide spiritual way to bring in New Year|publisher = The United Methodist Church|accessdate = 28 December 2011|quote=The service is loosely constructed with singing, spontaneous prayers and testimonials, and readings, including the Covenant Renewal service from The United Methodist Book of Worship (pp. 288-294).}}</ref> | |||
==New Year's Days in Zambia== | ==New Year's Days in Zambia== | ||
