New Year's Day - January 01, 2025

What is New Year’s Day?

New Year’s Day marks the start of a new year in the Gregorian calendar, and it’s a public holiday in many countries. The day is all about taking a moment to prepare for a new beginning of the year. It also allows many people to resolve the previous year's good and bad experiences.

New Year’s Day All Quick Overview

• Time/Date: January 1 every year
• Category: Festival
• Where It’s Marked: Globally/Internationally
• Why It’s Marked: The day is marked to welcome and celebrate a new year according to the Gregorian Calendar.

History of New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day is a day of celebration for everyone around the world. But how exactly did this day become a holiday?

The day's history is long and dates back to 2000 B.C. But it doesn't hurt to learn about a day we love to celebrate. Still, we will try to keep it short for you.

Mesopotamia, now known as Iraq, first celebrated New Year’s day in 2000 B.C. but surprisingly, not on January 1. They celebrated it in the middle of March, around the vernal equinox. You may now be confused then how it changed to the day today. Well, we’re still at the start of the history; let’s proceed and get to know.

The celebration of New Year’s Day on January 1 is still a modern practice because the early Roman calendar didn’t even have the months of January and February. It only had ten months and a total of 304 Days. Later, a king named Numa Pompilius introduced Januarius and Februarius. But still, the New Year was in mid-March.

Over many centuries, the old Roman calendar fell out of sync with the sun, and then Julius Caesar, with the help of prominent mathematicians and astronomers, decided to correct it. Thus, we get the Julian calendar. It is similar to the Gregorian calendar we use in the present.

We’re close to the finish line but not done!

Then, Julius Caesar introduced the idea of January 1 being New Year’s Day, where he partly honored the Roman god of beginnings, Janus. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII re-established January 1 as New Year and aligned the calendar with the earth’s rotation around the sun rather than with the moon, bringing us to the modern-day calendar, the Gregorian calendar.

It’s quite a history lesson, but fascinating, right? How a day originated over centuries and is now celebrated worldwide.

How to Celebrate New Year’s Day

In medieval times, New Year’s Day was celebrated by exchanging gifts with one another as it fell on the “twelve days of Christmas celebrations.” Even many religious leaders temporarily exchanged it with more religious days, such as December 25 (Jesus’s Birthday) and March 25 (the feast of Annunciation).

But now, New Year’s Day is celebrated from the night of December 31 to January 1, a whole day filled with delicious food, family and friends gathering and singing songs.

Most countries celebrate the day with fireworks at the stroke of midnight in their own time zones. Having small gatherings or get-togethers with barbeque starting in the evening is also a favourite way to celebrate new year's eve.

Moreover, on New Year’s Day, you can see parades and concerts in your nearby neighborhood. People also love making resolutions to resolve the negative aspects of their life for a better tomorrow. So, don’t forget to make yours!

Countries That Observe New Year’s Day

Not all cultures around the world celebrate New Year’s Day simultaneously. For example, Bengali, Hindu, Islamic, Sikh, Jewish, and Chinese New Years fall on different days of the year. The countries following it usually don’t celebrate New Year’s on January 1. But there will always be some exceptions!

Except for some of these cultures, most countries observe January 1 as New Year’s Day and celebrate it.

Interesting Facts About New Year’s Day

If you didn’t already know, there are many interesting facts about New Year’s Day that will blow your mind. Some of them are funny, and some are pretty interesting. Let’s know some!

• The most iconic New Year’s Day tradition is the giant ball dropping in Times Square, New York City, U.S., at the stroke of midnight. This tradition has been continued since 1907 when the ball was 700 pounds and made of wood and iron. Thanks to technology, the ball is now covered with 2,688 crystals, lit by 32,000 LED lights. It also weighs around 12,000 pounds with a diameter of 12 feet.
• About 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions every year, and guess how many succeed? Only about 2% or even less! Because by the second week of January, 25% of people give up on their resolutions. We all know it’s tough!
• Who's the symbol for New Year’s Day? Any Guesses? Yes, it’s a baby wearing a diaper, a black-top hat, and a sash mentioning the new year. Isn’t it just cute! The myth is that the baby slowly becomes an older man over the year and then back to a baby the next new year.
• There are many Christmas songs, but New Year’s Day isn’t left behind. A song by Robert Burns, in 1778, called “Auld Lang Syne,” is a famous New Year song. It means “times gone by.” Although most people find it hard to sing, the meaning is lovely. The song says to remember the loved ones, dead or alive, and keep them close to your heart.
• Eat leafy greens at the beginning of the year. Why? Tradition says it brings good luck and prosperity. Moreover, it also says eating peas and beans brings wealth. We don’t know about that, but it sure is a great way to stay healthy.
• New Year’s Eve isn’t a safe day for cars. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, stolen car reports are higher on New Year’s Day than on other holidays.
• There’s a tradition to kiss your significant other when the clock strikes midnight to spend the new year together.

Unique New Year’s Day Celebration Ideas

You can enjoy New Year’s Day by doing some fun events at your home. Here are some celebration ideas for you.

• Throw a karaoke party
• Plan a DIY party
• Have a countdown wall
• Decorate the house
• Have a backyard campfire
• Make a new recipe
• Create your photo booth
• Have a movie marathon night
• Have a pajama party

New Year’s Day Quotes

We have some New Year’s Day quotes for you to wish your family and friends a great year and keep yourself motivated for the future that lies ahead.

"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul" – Gilbert K. Chesterton

“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again” – Buddha

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one” – Brad Paisley

FAQ

1. What shape brings good luck on New Year’s Day?

A circle and so you’ll often see people celebrating by cutting round cakes.

2. Why shouldn’t I take anything out of my home on New Year’s Day?

The myth is that if you take out anything on New Year’s Day, nothing will return to your home the whole year.

3. Why do Spanish people eat precisely 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve?

To make wishes to god and bring good luck.

4. How many days did Julius Caesar add to realign the Roman calendar with the sun?

Ninety extra days were added to the Julian Calendar in 46 B.C.

5. When did the United Kingdom and the United States start observing the Gregorian calendar?

They started following the Gregorian calendar in 1752, from which they also removed 11 days.