New Year Essay

When the New Year arrives, the atmosphere is filled with thrill, enthusiasm, newness and happiness. In general, celebration on a massive level is done while celebrating the Gregorian new year, i.e. on 1st January; it is also said to be the new year day as per the Julian calendar. Julius Caesar was the emperor of Rome and was the first to declare 1st January a national holiday. He named the month after the name of the Roman god of doors and gates having two faces (forward and backwards-looking), Janus. Hence, the last night of 31st December is celebrated along with the welcome party of the New Year. The very first New Year was celebrated in Babylon over 4000 years ago. But, it is said to be celebrated on 21st March. At present, it is due to the influence of the west, 1st January is celebrated as the New Year all over the world. The enthusiasm is seen in everyone prior to 2 weeks. Some get excited as soon as the last month (December) starts. Every other person is seen asking about the others' New Year celebration plan and sharing their excitement about the day. Some are seen busy making new resolutions for the New Year. There are very few people who can be seen making their plans for the coming year. A new year marks the beginning of a year of 365 days.

How is New Year celebrated?

There is a lot of celebration in western countries than anywhere else. They gather together to celebrate. People wear new clothes and greet and embrace each other. As soon as the clock clicks on the midnight of 31^st December, everyone greets Happy New Year. Entertainment takes place on a massive stage to celebrate this festival worldwide. A lot of celebration is done by people to remember and make the passing year memorable. Also, almost every country celebrates this day with ostentatious displays. Some countries perform a show of special fireworks, which have a mesmerizing look. Some countries also declare New Year's Eve as a holiday, and hence people over there pre-plan a trip with their family to spend time together at a specific location and celebrate there. Some special programs are also hosted on this evening, the last day of the year. The wealthy hosts invite their friends and relatives to big parties, play games, eat, dance and enjoy. Various delicacies are prepared to keep this day memorable. There are very tasty dishes, beverages, and music at these parties organized by the rich. Here, people dance, sing, bid goodbye to the passing year and welcome the coming year with a grand procession. Due to the increased tour, every hotel is booked, and only things about New Year are discussed everywhere. The exchange of gifts takes place in wealthy households, where sweets, flowers and greeting cards are given to loved ones.

Various organizations organize parties, DJ nights, dance and singing competitions, fireworks, etc., during the New Year Event. Many of the hotels and merchant shops provide unique New Year offers and discounts. Since the Christmas day passes before the New Year, there is usually an everyday festive season sale already running on. In some cultures, especially in western countries, New Year is welcomed from the day of Christmas itself. Here, a holiday of five days is given to celebrate both the eve altogether with family and friends. The market is illuminated with bright coloured lighting and decorated to bring on a festive vibe. There is an unusual movement, a lot of the hustle and bustle, in the market, which mark this special day. Some take on resolutions to make a positive step towards any of the things or work they lag in. These resolutions are a kind of oath which keep them motivated to work upon their goals with dedication and determination. Every age group has an interest in having such resolutions.

Children are also filled with lots of festive excitement. They receive new clothes, gifts, sweets and blessings. It makes them happy. Schools organize several holistic development programs to celebrate the New Year on these few days between Christmas and New Year's. Various programmes, such as singing competitions, sports events, rangoli competitions, debating, dancing competitions and others are organized. Also, special prayers are sung. This brings in them the New Year vibe, which is hence spread by them as if it was a fragrance of the perfume. Congratulatory messages and greetings are shared through various social media platforms. It has been a trend running over there for a long time. People share their success stories and happy memories of the year and motivate others through these platforms.

Importance of New Year

New Year has special importance in our life. It has a huge significance. We get a lot of motivation to do new work, as there comes hidden energy from the new day of the New Year, which inspires us and leads a life of renewed enthusiasm and joy. Like any other festival, the New Year brings in some changes; it takes in energy and hence carries a lot of importance. However, there are some people who become sentimental and get nervous and sad about the passing year. But, it is a time to cheer up and remember all the important incidents of the going year.

We should be grateful for all the positive happenings of the previous year, and there should be a will to rectify the mistakes committed in the year. You must decide to focus on becoming a better human being than you were in the going year. The coming year brings on new hope, ideas, possibilities, and enthusiasm. It brings in positivity, which should be channelled in a proper way to be more productive. New Year has importance in everyone's life. It gives us a chance to learn from our mistakes and move ahead with experience and positivity. It provides our life with a new dimension and energy. The enthusiasm makes our life even better. Hence, it is widely believed that the New Year brings in new hopes and happiness.

New Year in India

In India, the traditional New Year days are celebrated per the religion and the calendar. But, due to the changing world and western influence, almost all the people also celebrate 1^st January as New Year, with the traditional one being it is observed with rituals. In many places in India, Bhajan Sandhya, Kalash Yatra, and Kavi Sammelan are also hosted. At the same time, some of them do some noble work to start their year. People donate blood to start the first day of their year with noble work, like feeding cows in the cowshed and helping the needed ones.

Traditional New Year in India

In India, there are different regions and religions where the New Year is celebrated on different days. The Hindu New Year is generally celebrated as the start of Diwali and its nearby days. The houses are cleaned, and saffron flags are displayed on the top of the houses. Programs of Bhajans and Kirtans are organized on this auspicious occasion in temples and religious places. As per the Islamic calendar, Muharram is the day considered New Year for Islam. The days are selected based upon the calendar which is followed, the lunar calendar or the solar calendar.

The Lunar Calendar

As the moon revolves around the earth, it takes the same time to rotate its path for once. Hence, it shows the same face that it has every day to the planet at specific times. A new moon appears after every 29.5 days. This is called a synodic month, and the lunar calendars are created based on the synodic month. The New Year is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra (March-April). The New Year is hence celebrated as a day of festival Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and by the name of Gudhi Padwa in Maharashtra. There are also some people who take into consideration the days in between Sankranti as a month to start the New Year. Few are there who take the days in between consecutive Purnimas into consideration. The next day of Diwali is observed as the New Year in Gujarat. According to the Hindu calendar, it comes in the month of Kartik on Shukla Paksha Pratipada. As per the lunar calendar, this is the first month of the New Year. However, it is spring when the New Year is celebrated in other parts of the country.

Regions and their New Years that are celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar are as follows -

In January and February, Sonam Lhosar is celebrated in Sikkim (Tamang).
In the month of February, Losar is celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh (Monpa); Gyalpo Lhosar in Sikkim (Sherpa).
In the month of March or April, it is known and celebrated as Cheti Chand in Sindhi; it is named Gudhi Padwa in Goa and Maharashtra. In Kashmir, it is called Navreh, while in Manipur as Sajibu Cheiraoba. Ugadi is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Chaitra Navaratri (Hindu Lunar New Year) in Bihar (Bhojpur, Magadh), Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh (Bundelkhand, Gird, Malwa, Mahakoshal), Uttar Pradesh (Awadh, Bagelkhand, Bhojpur, Braj).
In the month of June or July, Ashadhi Bij is celebrated in Kutch.
In the month of October and November, Gujarat celebrates its New Year.
In December, Losoong/ Namsoong is celebrated in Sikkim (Bhutia, Lepcha); Galdan Namchot in Ladakh.
In December and January, Tamu Lhosar is observed in Sikkim (Gurung).

The Solar Calendar

The solar calendars keep track of days using the tropical years. In this calendar, the time is calculated using vernal equinoxes. As per this calendar, one year comprises 365 days, with five hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds, which are counted as one day every four years. This calendar has been used since 1751, when the United Kingdom was told to use the Gregorian calendar. For the areas following the sonar calendar, the New Year comes in April on the 14 or 15. The region which celebrates the new years are Rongali Bihu in Assam, Baisakhi in Bangladesh, Poila Boishakh in Bengal, Pana Sankranti or Odia Nababarsa in Odisha, Vishu in Kerala, and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu.

Regions and their New Years that are celebrated according to the Solar Calendar are as follows-

Zoroastrians observe Nowruz on 21^st
On the 13, 14 or 15^th of April, the Mesha Sankranti/Vaisakhi (Hindu Solar New Year) is observed in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Nepalis (Darjeeling, Sikkim), Punjab, Uttarakhand (Kumaon and Garhwal), Uttar Pradesh; Sangken in Arunachal Pradesh (Khamti, Khamyang, Singpho, Tangsa), Assam ( Tai Aiton, Tai Phake, Turung).
In the state of West Bengal and its wider region, Pahela Baishakh is the New Year; in Mithila, it is known as Jur Sital; Bizhu in Chakma; Puthandu in Tamil Nadu.
Buisu is the New Year of Tripura; Bwisagu in Assam and Bodoland; Bihu, Bohag in Assam.
In Odisha, it is known as Pana Sankranti; Vishu is its local name in Kerala; Bisu Parba in Tamil Nadu.
On 17 or 18 August, Chingam (Kollam era calendar) is celebrated.
On August 17, 18 or 19, Pateti is celebrated by Parsis.

Facts about the New Year

It was in Mesopotamia when the first and the earliest known New Year's day was celebrated; it was back in 2000 BC.
The Roman Catholic Church was the adopter of the Gregorian calendar, in which 1^st January is celebrated as New Year.
After the winter solstice, the Chinese New Year is celebrated on the second full moon.
Rosh Hashanah is the name of the Jewish New Year. On this eve, the Jews eat apples and honey traditionally.
New Year begins on 1^st March in ancient Rome.
On average, 80% of the resolutions made in New Year get abandoned by February.
About 45% of the American population formulates New Year resolutions. Some of the top resolution trends are to spend less, lose weight, get organized, save more, stay fit and healthy, and quit smoking. Though there are about half of the American population makes resolutions, half of them forget about it in the very second week itself.
There are many who pop into the New Year by opening a bottle of champagne. This has been happening since the 17^th century, when the cork was invented.
The Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop brings together about 1 million people to see the ball drop. However, it was initially dropped due to the ban on fireworks. There has been an immense transformation in the ball which was thrown. The first Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop took place in 1907.
People wear red underwear in Italy on New Year's Eve to bring in Good Luck and good fortune throughout the year.
A large doll is packed with memories of the going year and is dressed in Colombia, Cuba and Puerto Rico. It is called as Mr Old Year. It is then set to fire at midnight, thus making the symbol of the burning of bad memories.
It is also said that ham, cabbage, and black-eyed peas bring prosperity and good fortune. But, having lobsters and chicken can do the reverse.
"Auld Lang Syne", meaning "times gone by", is the traditional New Year song written in 1788 by the Poet Robert Burns. It is a Scottish folk song made famous in the 1920s in the USA by the Canadian Guy Lombardo.
The tradition of kissing is also followed someplace, and hence, kissing someone at midnight on this eve keeps away from loneliness in the upcoming year. The ancient Romans are given credit for inventing this kissing tradition, which is done to honour Saturn, the god of time.
American Samoa is the second after the Baker and Howland Islands to celebrate the New Year.