We just watched billions of people around the world come together to ring in the New Year. They bid farewell to 2018 and welcomed 2019 with fireworks, prayer services and other festivities!
Galen and I watched some of the firework displays which were SPECTACULAR! They seem to be getting fancier and fancier every year. Fireworks in Dubai, were displayed at Burj Kalifa, the world's tallest building, and they kept going for almost 15 minutes. In Hong Kong they were at Victoria Harbor, which is an incredibly beautiful place, and we had the good fortune to have visited in 1999. The ones in Australia, were held at Sydney Harbor, Sydney being their largest city, and they were also amazing! Every country had the displays in one of their major cities or capitals, as I am sure most of you watched. Of course, every year we have our own festivities in New York city where I think about 2 million people came together and endured the cold and rainy weather.
When I was a little girl, in Istanbul, Turkey, I remember we used to celebrate the New Year with family and friends. We would play cards and different games, waiting for midnight. We had lots of good food, desserts and always a variety of dry nuts, dry figs, apricots and dates. That was tradition, among some other traditional dishes. When midnight came around everyone would hug and kiss and wish everyone good wishes. All over town you could hear noises of firearms being fired in the air (which obviously was not the smartest thing to do), and people banging on pots an pans outside their front doors. We did it too. I believe this tradition was the belief that noise drives away evil spirits, misfortune and bad luck. Then my mother had us go outside, in the morning, with a pomegranate and before coming into the house we would smash it by our front door. This, I believe was to bring into the house and the new year, prosperity, good luck and good health. Funny, how every culture has different traditions. I wonder if they still do some of these things, it was a long time ago.
But now let's look at the question about why we celebrate New Year's on January 1.
Two thousand years before the birth of Christ, ancient Mesopotamia started this celebration, but it was not on January 1st. Babylonians would celebrate in March, following the first new moon, following the vernal equinox. The new date of January 1 took place 45 BC after the Roman Emperor Julius Ceasar decided to forgo the Lunar calendar cycle and instead follow the Solar year, like the Egyptians did at that time. Under the "Julian" Calendar the year totaled 365 days and Ceasar also added a day to February, every four years. But some part of the known world still celebrated in March and some on December 25. It wasn't until 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII proposed a new calendar and the Gregorian calendar went into effect, and that is what most countries now use.
However, many cultures around the world still hold their New Year's observances based on their religious beliefs and celebrate the start of the year at different times.
1) China and other Asian Countries including Indonesia, and Vietnam, celebrate the Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival. The date of the Lunar year changes each year, but it always falls on the new moon between January 21 and February 20. Each New Year is named after one of the twelve animals in the Zodiac. 2018 was the Year of the Dog, and 2019 is the Year of the Pig.
2) Israel....Jewish people around the world celebrate the New Year in September or October during Rosh Hashanah. They have many traditions that include eating certain foods, like dates, leeks, beets and pomegranates, and each food holds a special meaning.
3) Persia...Iran..Nowruz at the start of Spring is known as the Persian New Year and is one of history's most ancient celebrations dating back 4000 years. Families come together and give presents, and wearing new clothes is a MUST. A major part of the holiday is a deep cleaning about three weeks before the vernal equinox. Homes are cleared of clutter to make room for a fresh start.
My best friend from College was Jewish from Persia and her family celebrated both holidays.
4) India......Diwali is called the festival of Lights which marks the beginning of the New Year and is enjoyed by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains all over the world. It coincides with the Hindu New Years, lasts for 5 days and is held between Mid October and Mid November, depending on the Hindu calendar. Traditionally, homes are cleaned and new clothes are worn for the festival. The families get together for prayers and share sweets and presents. This holiday symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. One of our very dear Indian neighbors celebrates this holiday and it is beautiful to see the many lights and candles displayed in their home.
5) Finally, there is one more celebration from India and that is the Boishakh which is celebrated by Bengali people. It takes place on April 14th, on the first day of the Bengali Calendar. This is the beginning of the harvest season. They perform cultural performances by singing, dancing and reciting from their sacred book.
So, there you have it...there may be more, but this is all I could come up with as I was pondering the question. I wanted to share it with you all and I hope you enjoyed it.
Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2019!
