New Years Day, 1/1/2006, or is it?

Why do so many fuss about new years eve? The moment in our calendar when a particular number is increased by one seems to effect some in a strange way. For some, this addition is the only maths they do in the year. Others feel that it gives them the right to molest another. Resolutions are made which are inevitably not adhered to. What makes that moment different to any other moment?

January the first as New Years Day was introduced by the Romans. Before then (and still) other cultures used astronomical events to define the new year. Egyptians celebrated NYD on the first day of the month of Thoth, the day Sirius first rises. This happened to coincide with the flooding of the Nile and represented new life. The Babylonians celebrated on the first visibile crescent of the first new moon after the vernal (spring in the northern hemisphere) equinox. The Chinese celebrate their NYD on a new moon. The Jewish New Year (Rosh HaShana) falls on 1 Tishri. There is a complicated formula for working out when this happens (that's the problem with lunar calendars). The Islamic New Year also follows the lunar cycle and is on the first day of Muharram. The first day of the month is defined as the first visible crescent of the new moon. Because the sighting of this crescent occurs at different times around the world, there is debate as to when NYD is actually held. As with any lunar calendar, this system is out of synch with our solar calendar.

So for us, Gregorian Calendar users, we celebrated NYD this year on 1st of January, 2006. For others that day was:
19th of December, 2005. (Julian Calendar: used by Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches)
2nd day, 12th lunar month, year of the chicken. (Chinese Calendar)
1 Teveth, 5766. (Jewish Calendar)
1 Dhu al-Hijjah, 1426. (Islamic Calendar)
11 Dey, 1384. (Persian Calendar)
11 Pausa, 1927. (Indian Civil Calendar)
Nivose, II du Duodi, 214. (French Republican Calendar)
12.19.12.16.14 (Mayan Long Calendar)
Tochtli, Atl, Cuauhtli. (Aztec Calendar)

A good book to read about the history of the Gregorian Calendar is 'Calendar' by David Ewing Duncan.