New Year's Day
January 1st is celebrated throughout the world as the start of the year.
January 1st is celebrated throughout the world as the start of the year.
Origin
Throughout human history, people have celebrated the start of the year. However, marking New Year’s Day as January 1st only arose during the Roman period. In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar, the head of the Roman Empire, created the Julian calendar. When he debuted this calendar, Caesar established January 1st as the first day of the year. The Julian calendar was the predecessor to the Gregorian calendar which much of the world uses today.
Romans celebrated the New Year by honoring Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings for whom January is named. Romans celebrated by giving gifts, throwing large parties and making offerings to Janus.
During the medieval period in Europe, the start of the year was moved to fall on days of Christian religious significance (such as Christmas). But in 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, January 1st was reestablished as the start of the year. Since that time, in countries which use the Gregorian calendar, January 1st has been celebrated as New Year’s Day.
Today, the majority of the world uses the Gregorian calendar in one way or another. Most countries have adopted the calendar wholesale. Some countries use more than one calendar, such as using a religious calendar alongside the Gregorian calendar. Saudi Arabia, the most recent country to adopt the Gregorian calendar, switched over in 2016.
In the United States, New Year’s Day is a federal holiday, giving the majority of government employees the day off. It became a federal holiday in 1870. It was one of the first federal holidays Congress granted along with Independence Day, Christmas Day and Thanksgiving.
Traditions
Celebrations for New Year’s typically begin on New Year’s Eve. They extend past midnight and into New Year's Day. These celebrations often include fireworks.
New Year's Day is a day to recover from the revelry of December 31st. New Year’s resolutions, or goals for the coming year, are frequently set on New Year’s Day. According to Marketplace, gyms experience a big bump in January, as many people set the intention to be more fit in the new year.
What to Say
“Happy New Year!” is a fine greeting for New Year’s Day.