New Year Evolution

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The Evolution of New Year's Eve

New year celebration is one the oldest events observed in the history of the world. The Babylonians were the first to observe it some 4000 years ago. They were followed by the Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, and the Greeks. However, each had their own ways and reasons for the celebrations. Even the dates of observation were different. The Babylonians celebrated the new year's eve on the first new moon that followed the vernal equinox. This was the day that appeared in the third or fourth week in March. During this time, the day and the night were equal. According to the earliest recording, the Babylonians had the culture of celebrating new year for 11 days. Even the style of celebration were different each …show more content…

It brought in a system whereby the days, months, and years were calculated based on the movement of the sun and the stars. This solar-based calendar established the practice of considering January 1 as the new year. Thus, the first day of the first month of the year came to be known as the new year and is still treated the world-over.

January was named after the Roman god, Janus. The Romans observed this month in honor of Janus, the two-faced god with power to peek into both the past and the future. On the first day of January, the Romans adorn their homes with the help of laurel branches. They offer sacrifices to the Janus, exchange gifts, and have wild …show more content…

It was nullified in 567 by the Council of Tours. They celebrated December 25 as the new year instead as the pious date is also the birth of Jesus.

Restoration of January 1 in Gregorian Calendar

January 1 was restored as the new year's day in 1582 by the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was followed by most of the Catholic countries. The same was followed by the Protestant countries soon after. However, the British didn't accept the calendar until 1752 and they continued to celebrate March 1 as the new year.

There have a great evolution in the celebration of new year eve since centuries. However, some of the rituals and traditions are still followed with some modern touch. For instance, earlier in the USA, a 700-pound iron with a wooden orb is dropped at Times Square in New York City. Today, the iron ball weighs around 12,000

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