FIRST DAY OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS IN DIFFERENT RELIGIONS

FIRST DAY OF NEW YEAR IS ALL ABOUT NEW ERA, NEW DESIRES AND NEW THOUGHTS AND NEW HOPES. ALL RELIGIONS CELEBRATE NEW YEAR AS PER THEIR OWN TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS BUT THE ENTHUSIASM IS EQUAL. DIFFERENT RELIGIONS BELIEVE THAT NEW YEAR MARKS THE BEGINNING OF NEW LIFE. IT’S SAID NEW YEAR GIVES A CHANCE TO LEAVE BEHIND THE MEMORIES OF THE OLD YEAR AND RENEW BY SHOWS POTENTIAL TO LEAD A BETTER LIFE IN THE YEAR AHEAD. SOME RELIGIONS OBSERVE NEW YEAR WITH PRAYERS WHILE OTHERS WELCOME IT WITH BOISTEROUS BURSTING OF CRACKERS.

DIFFERENT CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS GIVE SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO THE FIRST DAY OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS. NEW YEAR SPRAY ALMOST EVERY MONTH AS PER DIFFERENT RELIGIONS. SOME CELEBRATE IT IN SPRING WHILE OTHERS CELEBRATE IT IN AUTUMN.

JEWISH NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS BEGIN ON SUNDOWN OF THE FIRST DAY OF SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER AND ENDS ON SUNDOWN OF THE 10TH DAY. GREGORIAN OR CHRISTIAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS BEGIN WITH PARTIES, CARNIVALS, DINNERS AND ENDS WITH FAMILY VISITS. 

HINDUS CELEBRATE NEW YEAR ALMOST EVERY MONTH BECAUSE OF DIVERSITY IN CULTURE. NEW YEAR IS CELEBRATED WITH LOT OF JOLLITY AND VITALITY ACROSS INDIA. THE WAY OF CELEBRATING NEW YEAR IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN CELTIC RELIGION. THEY WELCOME THEIR ANCESTORS AND OFFER THEM FOOD AND DRINKS. HINDU NEW YEAR IS CELEBRATED ACCORDING TO THE HINDU LUNAR CALENDAR- PANCHANGA. THE POPULAR NAME OF THE HINDU NEW YEAR IS VIKRAM SAMVAT. IN THE INDIAN CALENDAR, SEASONS FOLLOW THE SUN, MONTHS FOLLOW THE MOON AND DAYS BOTH SUN AND MOON. THIS ERA OF VIKRAM SAMVAT BEGAN IN 57 BC. TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SOLAR CALENDAR, 57 YEARS ARE SUBTRACTED FROM THE HINDU YEAR. THUS, THE NEW YEAR BEGIN WITH THE FIRST DAY OF KARTIK MAAS FOLLOWING DEEPAWALI AMAAVASYA.THE MUSLIMS CELEBRATE THE DAY IN REMEMBRANCE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S FLIGHT FROM MECCA TO MEDINA. BAHAI NEW YEAR BEGINS AT THE SUNSET RATHER THAN MIDNIGHT. IN CONTRAST TO THIS, BUDDHIST NEW YEAR IS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY (MAHAYAN COUNTRIES) AND APRIL (IN OTHER BUDDHIST COUNTRIES). ACCORDING TO THE PARSI MYTHOLOGY, NEW YEAR IS THE TIME WHEN UNIVERSE IS RECREATED. PARSIS START THEIR NEW YEAR BY VIEWING SOME AUSPICIOUS ITEMS.