New Year
New Year’s Day is probably the most celebrated public holiday, often observed with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the New Year starts in each time zone. Other global New Year’s Day traditions include making New Year’s resolutions and calling one’s friends and family.
New Year’s Day is observed on January 1st, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar.
Legend
In pre-Christian Rome under the Julian calendar, the day was dedicated to Janus, God of gateways and beginnings, for whom January is also named. As a date in the Gregorian calendar of Christendom, New Year’s Day liturgically marked the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus, which is still observed as such in the Anglican Church and Lutheran Church.
Significance of New Year
Common celebrations worldwide include watching fireworks and singing songs to welcome the New Year. The practice of making resolutions for the New Year is thought to have first caught on among the ancient Babylonians. They made promises in order to earn the favor of the Gods and start the year off on the right foot. New Year’s resolutions used to be like treating people better, making new friends, and paying off debts. The Babylonians would return borrowed objects, Jews would seek and offer forgiveness. The Scotts go “first footing,” visiting neighbors to wish them well. All the old traditions disappeared and in modern days people celebrate New Year’s Eve partying by consuming alcohol etc. This definitely is not a good start. It only attracts negativity to one’s life rather than positive vibrations. It is important for one to always thrive for positive vibrations no matter what day it is and think of every day as a New Year day.
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