The ancient Romans started the concept of New Year on January 1st. In Europe the days become longer again so it is a good time to set as new year. Around the world there are many countries that celebrate a new year on a different day. For the Eastern Orthodox Church, the new year starts on January 14th. Observers feast on foods that symbolize money like lentils (coins) and greens (paper money).
Chinese New Year can fall anywhere between January 21st and February 19th. The Chinese new year is calculated according to the lunar calender. In 2011 the year of the Rabbit starts. The same lunar calendar is used by many countries in South East Asia. In this region new year is seen as a time to clean houses and clear debts. The first day of the year is seen as setting the tone for the months to come.
Vietnam celebrates Tet Nguyen Dan
Korea celebrates Sul-nal
Mongolia celebrates Tsagaan Sar That can fall anywhere between late January and early March. Gifts of silk are exchanged: blue for eternity; white for purity of thoughts and yellow for longevity and prosperity.
Parsis in India celebrate New year on the day of the spring equinox, either on March 20th or 21th. by remembering their ancestors.
Iranian new year is called Nowruz and falls also March 20th or 21th. An Iranian new year’s table is set up with the Koran, coloured egges, candles, a mirror and rose water and seven articles beginning with “s” sonbul (hyacinth); sabzeh (green shoots grown from grain); samanoo (sweet pudding from green wheat); serkeh (vinegar); sumac (herb); seeb (apple) and senjed (bohemian olives)
In South East Asia spring starts in April and therefore means a New Year.
Thailand celebration is called Songkran is from 13- 15 April. Children used to pour scented water over elders with good wishes. Birds are released form their cages and fish are put back into the rivers. (2011=2054)
Myanmar (Birma) calls the same day Thingyan
Laos name is Pi Mai Lao
Cambodia name for this day is Chaul Chnam Thmey
Nepal, Bangladesh and many parts of India celebrates the new year in mid-April.
Kutchi people from Gujarat India & Pakistan celebrates new year in June.
Sri Lanka astrologers determine not only the beginning of New year (not necessarily at midnight) but also the end of the old year! There will be a gap in between called nona gathe when people should pray, not work.
Jewish new year is called Hashanah occurs 153 days after Passover This means Jewish new year is a day between September 5th and October 5th. Traditionally apples dipped in honey are eaten to symbolize a sweet new year. The shofar (a kind of trumpet) is blown each morning in the month before Rosh Hashanah to alert people to the coming month of self-reflection.
The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt have their new year in on September 11th and 12th the name is: Neyrouz In Ethiopian it is called: Enkutatash
The Islamic New Year moves around the Gregorian calendar. Because the Muslim calendar is 11 or 12 days shorter each year, New Year can fall in any month. In 2010 Muslim new year was December 7th; in 2011 it will be November 26th. The first year was the year during which the emigration of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra, occurred. Each numbered year is designated either H for Hijra or AH for the Latin anno Hegirae (in the year of the Hijra). A limited number of years before Hijra (BH) are used to date events related to Islam, such as the birth of Muhammad in 53 BH. In 2011 the Islamic year is 1432 AH, from approximately 7 December 2010 (evening) to 26 November 2011 (evening). Being a purely lunar calendar, it is not synchronized with the seasons. With an annual drift of 11 or 12 days, the seasonal relation repeats about every 33 Islamic years.
Happy new year, learn a new alphabet every new year 😉 Alpha male; Beta science; Gamma ray
Date in accordance with the Thai Buddhist Calendar: BE 2542 = AD 1999; BE 2543 = AD 2000
BE 2544 = AD 2001
BE 2545 = AD 2002
BE 2546 = AD 2003
BE 2547 = AD 2004
BE 2548 = AD 2005
BE 2549 = AD 2006
BE 2550 = AD 2007
BE 2551 = AD 2008
BE 2552 = AD 2009
BE 2553 = AD 2010
BE 2554 = AD 2011 = 1432 AH
BE 2555 = AD 2012 = 1433 AH