As this year draws to a close we would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2009!
New Year’s Day is the first day of the calendar year. However, before the alignment of world calendars onto the Gregorian calendar, different calendars had different dates. The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian one.
Different countries and religions had, and in some cases still have, different calendars although for everyday life the Gregorian one has been adopted universally. For social or religious purposes there are still Hebrew, Muslim, Chinese and Ethiopian calendars to name but a few.
The adoption of the Gregorian calendar occurred over centuries with much of southern Europe aligning in 1582. Northern Europe (Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark & Norway) aligned in 1700, 1752 Great Britain, 1753 Sweden, 1873 Japan, 1922 USSR & 1926 Turkey.
New Years Day however has in various calendars been on different dates. The ancient Roman’s started their new year on 1st March. Western European countries often set their new year to coincide with religious festivals, so 25th December was regarded as the first day of the new year in some countries during the middle ages. In England the legal year started on 25th March until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.
New Year celebrations and their associate traditions vary around the world. Many revolve around bringing good luck. For some the crossing of the threshold by a tall dark handsome man is bound to bring good luck. An Irish tradition to chase out bad luck involves banging on the walls and doors with Christmas bread, whilst in Japan they sweep out bad luck with a broom. The slicing of a sweet bread with a coin baked inside is a Greek tradition, whoever finds the coin will have good luck for the next year.
Hogmanay in Scotland is the celebration of New Year. It has more significance than Christmas and ‘first footing’ or the visiting by the menfolk from house to house to bring good luck continues. Here a stranger carrying coal is deemed to bring good luck.
Many cultures see the lighting of bonfires as a method of driving out evil spirits or bad luck. In Poland, for example, bonfires are lit on new years day and sausages and stew (known as bigos) are served and washed down with a drink for those that are still capable after the previous nights celebration.
So wherever you are in the world and whenever and however you celebrate may we wish you a happy, healthy and peaceful 2009.