Why we celebrate New Year on January 1, read
The New Year has begun, and people across the country and around the world welcomed it with great enthusiasm. As the clock struck 12 on the night of December 31, people began exchanging wishes for a happy year. According to the Gregorian calendar, January 1 marks the start of the new year, celebrated globally. This raises the question: why is the New Year celebrated specifically on January 1, and not on any other day or in any other month among the twelve?
More than 2,000 years ago, in 45 BC, the calendar was in use in the Roman Empire. During the reign of Rome’s King Numa Pompillus, the Roman calendar consisted of 10 months, 310 days in a year, and an 8-day week. Later, Numa altered the calendar, establishing January as its first month. Subsequently, King Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar based on revised calculations.
Caesar declared the commencement of the new year on January 1, marking the advent of the Gregorian calendar in 1582 AD. Earth completes its orbit around the Sun in 365 days and 6 hours. However, the inclusion of January and February didn’t align with solar calculations, prompting astronomers to conduct extensive studies. Any calendar is crafted based on either the solar cycle or the lunar cycle.
A calendar based on the lunar cycle comprises 354 days, while one based on the solar cycle encompasses 365 days. The Gregorian calendar follows the solar cycle. Presently, the Gregorian calendar is widely used across most countries worldwide. Consequently, January 1 is celebrated as the New Year, facilitating trade and communication in the international market.