New Year S Day History

Julius caesar and the roman senate around 45 bc set january 1st as the start of the year.

New year s day history. As a date in the gregorian calendar of christendom new year s day liturgically marked. New year s day first day of the year january 1 in the gregorian calendar. Previous civilizations celebrated it in march to observe the new year of growth and fertility.

Around 153 bc the romans honored janus the pagan god on this day. Janus was the roman god of doors and gates and had two faces one looking forward and one back. Before calendars existed the time between seed sowing and harvesting was considered a cycle or a year.

A brief history of new year. Whatever new year traditions we speak of are actually meant for bringing good luck. Prior to that march 25 the date of the vernal equinox was celebrated as their new year s day.

New year s day also simply called new year is observed on 1 january the first day of the year on the modern gregorian calendar as well as the julian calendar. A history of new years i n 46 b c e. For instance eating black eyed peas on the day of new year is believed to bring good luck in several parts of the united states.

It originated thousands of years ago in ancient babylon celebrated as an eleven day festival on the first day of spring. It wasn t always that way. And this was considered to be the.

In pre christian rome under the julian calendar the day was dedicated to janus god of gateways and beginnings for whom january is also named. It was the romans who first used january 1 as the beginning of the year in 153 b c. The roman emperor julius caesar first established january 1 as new year s day.