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Celebrating the start of a new year is a tradition about as old as recorded history. Over 4000 years ago New Year’s Day was observed in Mesopotamia and Babylon (modern-day Iraq), which were the birthplaces of civilization.
For most of human history, the new year began in either late March, with the spring equinox, or mid-September with the autumn equinox. An equinox occurs twice a year when the center of the visible sun appears to be directly above the equator.
The introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582 established January 1 as the first day of the year, at least for countries with European/Christian heritages. January is named for the Roman god Janus, god of transitions, doorways, and time.
Other places around the world may follow different calendars. The first day of the lunar calendar is corrected every three years, causing the start of the new year to vary between Jan. 20 and Feb. 20. Chinese New Year will be on Feb. 1, 2022.
Chinese New Year celebrations
Chinese New Year is usually called the Spring Festival and is one of the most important holidays of the year. In keeping with the ancient tradition of starting anew, one of the customs of the Spring Festival is to give the home a thorough cleaning before the start of festivities. Sweeping away the debris of the old year makes room for luck in the new year.
It can also be important to pay all debts, extending even to debts of gratitude. Sending gifts to associates and family members clears any obligations stored up through the year, allowing one to begin fresh.
There are several foods traditionally associated with Chinese New Year. Springs rolls were made with fresh spring vegetables, which everyone had missed through the winter. Dumplings (jiaozi) are folded to resemble early forms of gold and silver currency and are eaten in hope of receiving wealth in the new year. Chinese New Year’s cake (nian gao) is a sweet, sticky dessert prepared from glutinous rice flour. The name sounds the same as saying “higher year,” implying a year-over-year improvement in fortune.
Jewish New Year celebrations
The Jewish New year is called Rosh Hashanah. It starts on the first day of the month of Tishri, which falls in September or October each year, and lasts two days. In 2022, Rosh Hashanah will be on Sep. 25-27.
Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgement when Jews should review their relationship with G-d and recall their responsibilities as His chosen people. The shofar, a horn made from the horn of a ram, is blown many times to remind Jews to turn to G-d. [The dash in place of ‘o’ prevents the name from being defaced.]
Rosh Hashanah seder (feast) most commonly includes apples dipped in honey to usher in a sweet new year. It also traditionally includes round challah bread studded with raisins, dates, pomegranates, and black-eyed peas. Nothing tart or bitter should be part of the seder.
Hogmanay (Scottish New Year)
Hogmanay is the last day of the old year and synonymous with New Year’s Eve. In Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, Hogmanay is a three- or four-day party that hundreds of thousands of people travel to attend. Events have unfortunately been cancelled this year for the second year in a row due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
Hogmanay is probably descended from the all-out Viking parties celebrating the winter solstice, which is now Christmas. Christmas was banned in Scotland for hundreds of years as a Protestant rejection of Catholicism, so Hogmanay became the festival of choice.
Here’s a short list of some things to do if Hogmanay is your style:
- Clean your home and pay your debts – This custom has the same traditional reasons as that of the Chinese Spring Festival.
- First-footing – the first person to cross the threshold of your home in the new year will symbolize the rest of it, so make sure it’s a good friend or family member.
- Have fire – fire is a huge part of Hogmanay customs. Giant torchlight processions through the streets are held in many Scottish towns.
- Drink whiskey and eat black bun – Drink whiskey because… well, because Scotland. Black bun is the major Hogmanay food. It’s a fruit cake in a layer of pastry, containing raisins, currants, almonds, citrus peel, allspice, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
