NEW YEAR'S
New Year's Day marks the beginning of the new year. For everyone it is a time to reckon, but also for celebrations. On the night of December 31, parties and dinners are organized with close friends and relatives.
The first day of the year corresponds to the New Year in the Gregorian calendar, our calendar and in most Western countries, and in the Japanese calendar. The history of the New Year has pagan origins: January 1 was considered the first day of the year starting in 46 BC. C. with the introduction of the Julian calendar. Before the establishment of the calendar promulgated by Julius Caesar, in fact, the first day of the year coincided with the first day of March.
The celebrations date back to the pagan festival in honor of the Roman god Janus, the name from which the month of January derives, which was celebrated immediately after the Saturnalia, the Roman festivals for the god Saturn, which closed the year. During the following centuries, although many European countries had adopted the Julian calendar which fixed New Year's Day on January 1, in reality the date of the 1st day of the year changed from area to area. For example, in England, Ireland, Pisa and Florence the New Year was celebrated on March 25; in Spain, on the other hand, the first day of the year was set for December 25, in correspondence with Christmas, in Puglia, Calabria and Sardinia it was celebrated on September 1.
The various dates were then made to coincide by Pope Innocent XII all on January 1, starting from the year 1691.
It is tradition in Italy to celebrate the New Year between the night of December 31st and January 1st. This is why we often refer to the night of December 31, precisely the day of San Silvestro, as New Year's Eve. In reality, December 31st we celebrate San Silvestro and it is to be considered the real New Year's Eve.
In Orthodox Christian countries, on the other hand, the New Year falls in conjunction with the end of the Julian calendar. Russia, Macedonia, Belarus and Moldova celebrate the arrival of the new year on the night between 13 and 14 January. The Chinese New Year on the other hand does not have a fixed date, since it corresponds to the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar: compared to the Gregorian calendar, it varies from year to year, but falling immediately after on a day between 21 January and 20 February.
The first day of the year corresponds to the New Year in the Gregorian calendar, our calendar and in most Western countries, and in the Japanese calendar. The history of the New Year has pagan origins: January 1 was considered the first day of the year starting in 46 BC. C. with the introduction of the Julian calendar. Before the establishment of the calendar promulgated by Julius Caesar, in fact, the first day of the year coincided with the first day of March.
The celebrations date back to the pagan festival in honor of the Roman god Janus, the name from which the month of January derives, which was celebrated immediately after the Saturnalia, the Roman festivals for the god Saturn, which closed the year. During the following centuries, although many European countries had adopted the Julian calendar which fixed New Year's Day on January 1, in reality the date of the 1st day of the year changed from area to area. For example, in England, Ireland, Pisa and Florence the New Year was celebrated on March 25; in Spain, on the other hand, the first day of the year was set for December 25, in correspondence with Christmas, in Puglia, Calabria and Sardinia it was celebrated on September 1.
The various dates were then made to coincide by Pope Innocent XII all on January 1, starting from the year 1691.
It is tradition in Italy to celebrate the New Year between the night of December 31st and January 1st. This is why we often refer to the night of December 31, precisely the day of San Silvestro, as New Year's Eve. In reality, December 31st we celebrate San Silvestro and it is to be considered the real New Year's Eve.
In Orthodox Christian countries, on the other hand, the New Year falls in conjunction with the end of the Julian calendar. Russia, Macedonia, Belarus and Moldova celebrate the arrival of the new year on the night between 13 and 14 January. The Chinese New Year on the other hand does not have a fixed date, since it corresponds to the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar: compared to the Gregorian calendar, it varies from year to year, but falling immediately after on a day between 21 January and 20 February.