The history of the New Year holiday. Various dates and traditions. How much and when is the New Year celebrated in the world

If you conduct a survey among Russians about their favorite holiday, I am sure that the New Year will be the favorite.
Did you know that it can be celebrated all year round? In the world there are 21 dates for celebrating the New Year. That is, on average, about 2 times a month.

Winter

From December 31 to January 1, it is customary to celebrate the New Year in European countries. And also in Canada, USA, UAE, Finland and other countries that live according to the Gregorian calendar.

In Greece, the New Year is celebrated from January 13 to 14, on the same day when we celebrate the old New Year. Traditionally, this holiday is called St. Basil's Day. It is Saint Basil, and not Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) or Father Frost, who brings gifts on New Year's Eve. According to tradition, St. Basil wears a black beard and colored clothes, and his gifts are some sweets for children. But in modern Greece, the image of Santa Claus is gaining more and more popularity.

Many southeastern countries celebrate the New Year according to the lunar calendar. Usually the holiday falls on dates from January 21 to February 20. Vietnam, China, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore live according to the lunar calendar. The calendar month according to this calculation lasts either 29 or 30 days. And in a calendar year there can be either 354 days - a simple year, or 355 days - an extended (leap) year.

Spring

On the night of March 21-22, on the day of the vernal equinox, the Persian New Year is celebrated. In Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraq, Pakistan, in the republics of Central Asia, celebrations are held dedicated to this holiday.

In India, the New Year is traditionally celebrated on March 22. By the way, before the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the New Year was celebrated on the same date. It is worth noting that each Indian state has its own tradition of celebrating the New Year. So, let's say, the inhabitants of Kashmir begin to celebrate the New Year before everyone else and continue to celebrate it until the end of the New Year celebrations in all Indian states.

On one of the days from 12 to 17 April, the celebration of the New Year in Burma takes place. At this time, there are almost the hottest days of the year. Therefore, it is logical that people came up with the idea of ​​pouring water on New Year's Eve, and the holiday itself is called Water Day.

In Sri Lanka, Nepal and Laos, they celebrate the New Year not at night, but with the first rays of the sun. And the first day of the coming year is called the Day of Colors, when the entire population of the country decorates itself in the brightest colors.

End of April

In Thailand, for 70 years now, the public holiday has been celebrated on January 1, but the population continues to celebrate the ethnic New Year, which falls in the second half of April, as well as the Chinese New Year.

Summer

For us, the New Year is not a summer holiday at all, as well as for the majority of the population of our planet.
On July 16, the Mayan tribes celebrated the new year, some residents of Mexico and Guatemala still adhere to this tradition.

August 30, according to the Alexandrian reckoning, is the ancient Egyptian New Year, which is still celebrated only in Djibouti and Niger.

Autumn

September 1 is the New Year in Syria. By the way, before the reforms of Peter the Great, we also celebrated the New Year on September 1.

The Coptic New Year is still celebrated on September 11th. Copts are considered the heirs of the pharaohs, and at the same time, this people belongs to the Christian faith. On this day, the Day of the Holy Martyrs, Neyruz or the New Year is solemnly and pompously celebrated.

First half of September

In the first half of September or early October, Orthodox Jews around the world celebrate their New Year. On the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, a decision is made in heaven: who will live and who will die. These days, you should approximately pray in order to influence the decision of the creator.

October 7 is New Year's Day in the Gambia. Here it is customary to ask for forgiveness for all insults, to say kind words to friends and relatives. And also on this day, one should carefully select an outfit and decorate oneself.

Well, the most "sinister" New Year is celebrated from October 31 to November 1 in some Celtic countries. It is called the Celtic New Year or Samhain (the time of no time). It marks the beginning of the winter, dark half of the year. This is a kind of epilogue of the year, the epilogue of life, at this time the result is summed up.

Well, the latest New Year is celebrated in Yemen, Oceania and Hawaii. Here it is customary to decorate yourself with flowers, wake up with kisses, sing and dance.

floating date

The first day of the month of Muharram means that the Muslim New Year - Hijra has come. This year, Muslims have already celebrated the onset of the New Year, it happened on October 25th. Each following Hijri New Year comes 11 days earlier than the previous one.

9 times a day

New Year can be celebrated not only all year round. Even on December 31 and January 1, it can be celebrated continuously together with our compatriots.
Russia is the only country in the world where the New Year is celebrated as many as 9 times.

• Kuriles, Kamchatka, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Magadan Region. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Magadan and Anadyr
• Far East and Sakhalin, including Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur
• Amur Region, Chita and the Republic of Yakutia-Sakha.
• Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude and Bratsk.
• Eastern Siberia - from Krasnoyarsk to Norilsk,
• Western Siberia: Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Omsk, Barnaul, Tomsk and Altai.
• Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrugs, Tyumen and the Urals
• Moscow and the European part of Russia,
• Kaliningrad region

Due to different time zones, the time of the new year may differ from ours by as much as 25 hours. From this article you will find out when the New Year comes in different countries of the world and what are the features of the celebration in some countries

We have already talked in detail about the history of the New Year and traditions. Now let's talk about when this day comes in different countries of the world. The very first to celebrate the New Year are the inhabitants of the island of Kiritimati, which is part of the Christmas Islands, as well as the inhabitants of the city of Nukualofa (the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga). These islands are located in Oceania

+0.15 - Chatham Island (New Zealand), located at some distance from the main islands of New Zealand, celebrates the New Year for the second time. It has a special time zone

+1.00 - Then the New Year comes in New Zealand. At the same time, polar explorers from the South Pole in Antarctica also meet him.

+2.00 - The next to celebrate are the inhabitants of extreme eastern Russia (Anadyr, Kamchatka), the Fiji Islands and some other Pacific islands (Nauru, Tuvalu, etc.)

+2.30 - Norfolk Island (Australia)

+3.00 - Part of eastern Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra) and some Pacific Islands (Vanuatu, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, etc.)

Australia is worth talking about separately. There is always a grand celebration in Sydney. On New Year's Eve, the city looks like a brightly decorated Christmas tree, with branches bending from decorations. Numerous fireworks are scattered in the sky over Sydney, which are visible from a distance of 16-20 kilometers from the city. Pay attention to the gorgeous fireworks against the backdrop of the famous Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House

After a festive night, Australians often go somewhere in nature, as the climate always allows it.

+3.30 - South Australia (Adelaide)

+4.00 - State of Queensland in Australia (Brisbane), part of Russia (Vladivostok) and some islands (Papua New Guinea, Mariana Islands)

+4.30 - Northern Territories of Australia (Darwin)

+5.00 - Japan and Korea

In Japan, the New Year is celebrated on January 1st. Mandatory is the custom of seeing off the Old Year, with lavish receptions and visits to restaurants. At the beginning of the new year, the Japanese begin to laugh. They believe that laughter brings them good luck in the new year. On the first New Year's Eve, it is customary to visit the temple, where 108 bells are beaten. With each blow, all the bad things go away, and will not be repeated in the New Year. Among New Year's accessories, amulets for happiness - miniature rakes - are popular. Every Japanese necessarily acquires them, so that on New Year's Eve there is something to rake in happiness. Bamboo rakes - kumade are made in sizes from 10 cm to 1.5 meters and are decorated with rich paintings. In houses, rice cakes and tangerines are placed in a conspicuous place, symbolizing happiness, health and longevity.

+6.00 - China, part of Southeast Asia and the rest of Australia

Chinese New Year is celebrated between January 17 and February 19, during the new moon. Street processions are the most exciting part of the holiday. Thousands of lanterns are lit to light the way for the New Year. The Chinese believe that the new year is surrounded by evil spirits. Therefore, they scare them away with firecrackers and firecrackers. New Year in China is a strictly family holiday, so everyone wants to spend it with their relatives. In the evening, each family gathers in the living room for a gala dinner. During this dinner, which was held under the sign of the unity of the clan, and above all the unity of its living and deceased members, its participants eat dishes that are first offered to the spirits of their ancestors. At the same time, family members forgive each other old grievances

+7.00 - Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia

+7.30 - Myanmar

+8.00 - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Part of Russia (Novosibirsk, Omsk)

+8.15 - Nepal

+8.30 – India

In India, the New Year is celebrated in different ways. In one part of the country, the holiday is considered open when a kite is struck by a burning arrow. In northern India, the inhabitants adorn themselves with flowers in shades of pink, red, purple, or white. The mothers of South India place sweets, flowers and small gifts on a special tray, and on New Year's Day the children are brought to the tray with their eyes closed.

+9.00 - Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and part of Russia (Yekaterinburg, Ufa).

+9.30 - Afghanistan

+10.00 - Armenia, Azerbaijan, part of Russia (Samara), some islands in the Indian Ocean.

+10.30 - Iran

+11.00 - Part of East Asia, part of Africa, part of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg)

+12.00 - Eastern Europe (Romania, Greece, Ukraine, etc.), Turkey, Israel, Finland, part of Africa.

In Finland, families gather at a New Year's table full of various dishes. The kids expect from Joulupukki, that's the name of the Finnish Santa Claus, a huge basket of gifts. On New Year's Eve, Finns often guess, trying to find out their future. If you decide to visit this country for the New Year - there is nothing better than a trip to Finland on comfortable buses from http://spbfin.ru

In Greece, New Year's Day is Saint Basil's Day. Saint Basil was known for his kindness, and Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace in the hope that Saint Basil will fill the shoes with gifts. It is also customary to launch fireworks into the sky. In the photo New Year's fireworks over the Acropolis

+13.00 - Western and Central Europe (Belgium, Italy, France, Hungary, Sweden, etc.), part of Africa.

As soon as the New Year has begun, Italians are in a hurry to get rid of things that have already "served their time", sometimes throwing them right out of the window or burning them. In Italy, the custom has been preserved to bring clean water from a spring on the first morning of the new year, as it is believed that water brings happiness.

The French, even before Christmas, hang a mistletoe branch over the door of their houses, believing that it will bring good luck next year. They decorate the whole house with flowers and always put them on the table. In each house they try to place a model depicting the scene of the birth of Christ. According to tradition, a good owner-winemaker on New Year's Eve should clink glasses with a barrel of wine, congratulate her on the holiday and drink for the future harvest. In the photo, New Year's fireworks against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower

+14.00 - Prime meridian (Greenwich), UK, Portugal, part of Africa

Let's move on to the UK. The ringing of the bell broadcasts about the New Year in England, the British have a tradition to let the old year out of the house, they open the back doors of the houses before the bell rings, and then open the entrance doors to let in the New Year. New Year's gifts in the family circle of the British are distributed according to the old tradition - by lot. In the photo, New Year's fireworks against the backdrop of the famous London Eye

+15.00 - Azores

+16.00 – Brazil

On New Year's Eve, the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro go to the ocean and bring gifts to the Goddess of the Sea Yemanzha. Traditionally, Brazilians dress up in white clothes, which symbolizes a plea for peace addressed to the goddess of the Sea. Believers bring all kinds of gifts to the goddess: flowers, perfumes, mirrors, jewelry. Gifts are placed in small boats and sent to the sea as a token of gratitude for the past year and as a request for protection in the coming year. Pay attention to how many people gathered on the beach of Rio to watch the fireworks

+17.00 - Argentina and part of eastern South America

+17.30 - Newfoundland Island (Canada)

+18.00 - Eastern Canada, many Caribbean islands, part of South America

+19.00 - Eastern parts of Canada (Ottawa) and USA (Washington, New York), western part of South America.

USA. In New York, in Times Square, the traditional solemn descent of the famous Ball, sparkling with thousands of neon lights, takes place.

+20.00 - Central parts of Canada and the USA (Chicago, Houston), Mexico and most countries in Latin America.

+21.00 - Part of Canada (Edmonton, Calgary) and USA (Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City)

+22.00 - Western parts of Canada (Vancouver, and USA (Los Angeles, San Francisco)

+23.00 - State of Alaska (USA)

+23.30 - Marquesas Islands as part of French Polynesia

+24.00 - Hawaiian Islands (USA), Tahiti and the Cook Islands

+25.00 - Residents of the state of Samoa are the last to celebrate the New Year

This is how the New Year is celebrated around the world on a grand scale, in different countries in different ways, but everywhere there is a common feature - you need to celebrate it cheerfully, and on a grand scale.

For one year in the world under different religions and different peoples New Year meet on different days.
1st of January New Year officially begins in most countries of the world that live according to the Gregorian calendar.
January 14, when the Old New Year is celebrated in Russia, is considered the beginning of the year in Greece. This is the day of St. Basil, who was once famous for his kindness and special love for children.
IN first new moon after January 21st(in different years it is celebrated between January 21 and February 20) the New Year is coming according to the Eastern calendar, which is followed by such countries as China, Vietnam, Singapore, Korea, Mongolia, Malaysia, etc.

IN first day of the holy month of Muharram in Islamic countries, the Hijri New Year is coming (starting from July 16, 622 according to the Gregorian calendar, each next Hijri New Year comes 11 days earlier than the previous one). The 1st Muhharam is not included in the number of Islamic holidays and, accordingly, in most Muslim countries, the New Year is not celebrated as a holiday in the secular sense. On this day, a sermon is read in mosques dedicated to the moving of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
24 February Indian New Year's Day Holi. (In India, the New Year is celebrated several times on different days).
10th of March The people of Kashmir begin to celebrate the New Year in India and continue to celebrate it until the end of the New Year celebrations in all Indian states.
At night With 21 to 22 March The New Year comes to countries living according to the Persian calendar: Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan. March 22 is called "Navruz" - the first day of the New Year.
26 March New Year comes to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
IN first day of the waxing moon of the month of Chaitra According to the Hindu calendar (end of March-beginning of April according to the Gregorian), the Indian New Year Gudi Padva is celebrated.
During from 12 to 17 April New Year is celebrated in Burma. It falls on the most sultry and hot days there. The exact day of the celebration is announced by the Ministry of Culture by a special decree, and the celebrations last for three days.
April 13 Thai New Year Songkran is celebrated. On the same day, the people of West Bengal celebrate the New Year in India.
14th of April New Year is coming to Laos. This is the start of the long awaited rainy season. On the same day, Indians from Tamil Nadu celebrate the arrival of the New Year, and this day coincides with the official onset of spring.
July 16 New Year is celebrated by some Mayan tribes in Mexico.
1st and 2nd of the month of Tishri in the Hebrew calendar (usually September in the Gregorian calendar) the New Year is celebrated in Israel, where it is called Rosh Hashanah.
11 September(most often) the Ethiopian New Year comes, which marks the end of the rainy season in Ethiopia.
October 7th New Year holidays come to the Gambia and Indonesia. For local residents, this is a special date - you can put on your best outfits, dress up, ask each other for forgiveness for all offenses and enter the New Year with a clear conscience.
Night from 31 October to 1 November, known in Catholic countries as "Halloween", is considered the beginning of the New Year among the Celtic peoples, and they call it "Samhain". This date is especially important in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, where the descendants of the ancient Celts still live and keep centuries-old customs.
November 18th one year is replaced by another in the territory of the Hawaiian Islands, Oceania and Yemen. In these regions, the New Year is celebrated later than everyone else, when other countries are already preparing to celebrate the next year.

Within one year in the world, within the framework of different religions and different peoples, the New Year is celebrated on different days.

1st of January New Year officially begins in most countries of the world that live according to the Gregorian calendar.

January 14 throughout the CIS celebrate the Old New Year, it is considered the beginning of the year in Greece. This is the day of St. Basil, who was once famous for his kindness and special love for children.

On the first new moon after January 21(in different years it is celebrated between January 21 and February 20) the New Year is coming according to the Eastern calendar, which is followed by such countries as China, Vietnam, Singapore, Korea, Mongolia, Malaysia, etc.

On the first day of the holy month of Muharram in Islamic countries, the Hijri New Year begins (starting from July 16, 622 according to the Gregorian calendar, each next Hijri New Year comes 11 days earlier than the previous one). The 1st Muhharam is not included in the number of Islamic holidays and, accordingly, in most Muslim countries, the New Year is not celebrated as a holiday in the secular sense. On this day, a sermon is read in mosques dedicated to the moving of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.

24 February Indian New Year's Day Holi. (In India, the New Year is celebrated several times on different days).

10th of March The people of Kashmir begin to celebrate the New Year in India and continue to celebrate it until the end of the New Year celebrations in all Indian states.

On the night of March 21-22 The New Year comes to countries living according to the Persian calendar: Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan. March 22 is called "Novruz" - the first day of the New Year.

On the first day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Chaitra (late March-early April Gregorian), the Indian New Year, Gudi Padva, is celebrated.

In the period from 12 to 17 April New Year is celebrated in Burma. It falls on the most sultry and hot days there. The exact day of the celebration is announced by the Ministry of Culture by a special decree, and the celebrations last for three days.

April 13 Thai New Year Songkran is celebrated. On the same day, the people of West Bengal celebrate the New Year in India.

14th of April New Year is coming to Laos. This is the start of the long awaited rainy season. On the same day, Indians from Tamil Nadu celebrate the arrival of the New Year, and this day coincides with the official onset of spring.

1st and 2nd of the month of Tishri according to the Jewish calendar(usually September Gregorian) New Year is celebrated in Israel, where it is called Rosh Hashanah.

11 September Ethiopian New Year is coming, which marks the end of the rainy season in Ethiopia.

October 7th New Year holidays come to the Gambia and Indonesia. For local residents, this is a special date - you can put on your best outfits, dress up, ask each other for forgiveness for all offenses and enter the New Year with a clear conscience.

Night from October 31 to November 1, known in Catholic countries as "Halloween", is considered the beginning of the New Year among the Celtic peoples, and they call it "Samhain". This date is especially important in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, where the descendants of the ancient Celts still live and keep centuries-old customs.

November 18th one year is replaced by another in the territory of the Hawaiian Islands, Oceania and Yemen. In these regions, the New Year is celebrated later than everyone else, when other countries are already preparing to celebrate the next year.

A couple of years ago, Saudi Arabia officially banned New Year's Eve. But this state is far from the only one where the traditional for us meeting of the new year goes completely unnoticed. It turns out that the New Year on January 1 is not celebrated in many countries.

On New Year's Eve, the inhabitants of our latitudes drink champagne, launch colorful fireworks and eat Russian salad. It would seem that the whole world at this moment is celebrating the onset of the new year. But this is by no means the case. Somewhere thousands of kilometers away, an ordinary Indian or Iranian snores calmly on New Year's Eve - in the morning he will start an ordinary working day.

The religious police of Saudi Arabia, Al Mutawa, warned citizens and foreigners living in the Kingdom of a ban on celebrating the New Year. A special unit of law enforcement agencies, announcing the inadmissibility of the celebration, is guided by a fatwa (religious injunction in Islam) issued by the supreme committee of Saudi ulema (Islamic preachers), since Muslims follow the lunar calendar.

Police officers contact shops that sell flowers and gifts so that they do not sell a number of goods that can be purchased on the occasion of this holiday. Al Mutawa closely monitors the implementation of norms in a purely conservative Saudi Arabia. However, cases of excess of authority by this department were often recorded, which, in particular, led to human casualties.

The Islamic New Year is celebrated on the vernal equinox, March 21, which almost always corresponds to the first day of the holy month of Muharram. The chronology is from the Hijra (July 16, 622 AD) - the date of the migration of the Prophet Muhammad and the first Muslims from Mecca to Medina.

In Israel, January 1 is also a regular working day, unless, of course, the first day of the new year happens on Saturday - a holy day for the Jews. The Israelis celebrate their New Year in the fall - on the new moon of the month of Tishrei according to the Jewish calendar (September or October). This holiday is called Rosh Hashanah. It is celebrated for two days, and many traditions, rituals and ceremonies are associated with its celebration in Israel.

As a rule, the traditions of celebrating the New Year in the sense in which it is understood in Europe and North America are supported by the Russian diaspora living in Israel. And then everyone gets out as best they can. People try to take a day off from work and traditionally celebrate the holiday with family and friends. Someone gathers at home, and someone goes to a Russian restaurant.

Some Israelis believe that the celebrants are celebrating the day of the Catholic Saint Sylvester, which falls on December 31st. Therefore, the country often calls the New Year "Sylvester".

January 1 is not a holiday at all in Iran either. The country lives according to its own calendar. For example, it is now 1395 in Iran. The Iranian calendar, or Solar Hijra, is an astronomical solar calendar that was developed with the participation of Omar Khayyam and has since been refined several times.

New Year in Iran is celebrated according to the calendar on the first day of spring, which corresponds to March 22 of the Gregorian calendar. The New Year's holiday in Iran is called Novruz (or Noruz), and the first spring month is called Favardin.

By the way, Novruz is celebrated not only in Iran, but also in many countries where the ancient Persians managed to pretty much inherit. For example, the year in Afghanistan begins with Novruz. Along with January 1, Nowruz is celebrated in Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Albania and Macedonia.

In multicultural India, there are so many holidays that if you had to celebrate everything, there would be no time to work. Therefore, some of them have become "holidays of choice". These days, all institutions and offices are open, but employees can take time off. January 1 is one of those holidays.

In addition, there are several other options for celebrating the arrival of the New Year in the Indian subcontinent.

On March 22, the new year begins according to the unified national calendar of India. In Maharashtra it is celebrated under the name Gudi Padwa and in Andhra Pradesh it is called Ugadi. In Kerala, New Year is celebrated on April 13th. It is called Vishu. Sikhs celebrate their New Year, Vaisakhi, on the same day. In South India, the Divapali festival is widely celebrated in autumn, which also means the arrival of the new year.

New Year in China (where it is now called Yuan-dan) passes quite unnoticed. Only in large department stores and shopping centers, paying tribute to Western traditions, they put up shiny artificial Christmas trees and puppet Santa Clauses here and there, and the Chinese send electronic New Year cards to their Western friends. And even then it is done for Christmas, and not for the New Year.

"Yuan-dan" is the first, initial day of the new year ("yuan" means "beginning", "tribute" - "dawn" or simply "day"). Until the 20th century, the New Year in China was counted according to the lunar calendar, and not at all according to the calendar we are used to, and Yuan-dan was celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month.

On September 27, 1949, the government of the newly established People's Republic of China decided to call the first day of the lunar calendar "Spring Festival" (Chun Jie), and the first of January according to the Western calendar - "Yuan-dan". Since that time, January 1 has become an official public holiday in China. But even today, the Chinese still do not celebrate this day, not perceiving it as a holiday, marking the change of years. The "Western" New Year is not a competitor to the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival.