Dec 30 2006
When Will You Celebrate the New Year?
Did you know that the 1st of January is not recognized by the whole world as the first day of the year?
Only those who use the Gregorian calendar (like us) celebrate New Year on this date. Other calendars are based on the moon’s movement, others on the position of the sun and then there are those who base theirs on both.
Pardon my French.
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. So if you plan on celebrating New Year in China, Taiwan or Vietnam, note that the first day of the new year, based on Chinese Calendar, will be on the 18th of February..
IMHO, they have the most festive type of celebration.
The Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the first and second day of the seventh month of the Hebrew Calendar, Tishri. If based on the Gregorian calendar, it will be celebrated at sunset on the 12th of September until nightfall of September 14, 2007.
Muslim New Year is based on, obviously, the Muslim calendar. The movements of the moon predicts the date which means that each year, the date if the New Year is moved eleven days earlier than the previous one. So this year, Muharram or the Islamic New Year will be on the 20th of January.
The people of India will be ushering in the New Year on different dates.
“The people of Kerala in the south of India celebrate their new year — Vishu — in mid April. Andhra Pradesh, in the southeastern part of India begins its new year — Ugadi — in the second week of April. During the same time, the Bengalis usher in the new year with the Poila Baishakh celebrations, the Maharashtrians with Gudi Padwa, and the Assamese in the northeast with the Bihu festivals. Hindus in Punjab get agog with Baisakhi, the springtime festival marking the beginning of a new year. By this time, the Hindus of Nepal and Kashmir, however, have already began the new year: The Nepalese new year — Nava Varsha — falls in the third week of March, and the Kashmiri Lunar year — Navreh — starts in the second week of March.â€
phew! Thanks to Subhamoy for the info.
So if you are off to another country to celebrate the coming of 2007, make sure that you have your dates right.
On the other hand, should you drink so much and pass out even before you could usher in the new year, don’t fret. You can always fly off elsewhere and welcome the New Year there.
[sources: hinduism and heartland]
