Why does the new year begin on January 1? | Earth | EarthSky
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New Year’s Day is a civil event.
Its date isn’t precisely fixed by any natural seasonal marker.
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The date of New Year’s Day seems so fundamental that it’s almost as though nature ordained it. But New Year’s Day is a civil event.
Its date isn’t precisely fixed by any natural seasonal marker.
Our modern celebration of New Year’s Day stems from an ancient Roman custom, the feast of the Roman god Janus – god of doorways and beginnings. The name for the month of January also comes from Janus, who was depicted as having two faces.
One face of Janus looked back into the past, and the other peered forward to the future.
For us in the Northern Hemisphere, early January is a logical time for new beginnings.
in the Northern Hemisphere, we had the shortest day of the year.
By early January, our days are obviously lengthening again.
This return of longer hours of daylight had a profound effect on cultures that were tied to agricultural cycles.
It has an emotional effect on people even in cities today.
The early calendar-makers didn’t know it, but today we know there is another bit of astronomical logic behind beginning the year on January 1.
Earth is always closest to the sun in its yearly orbit around this time.
This event is called Earth’s .
People didn’t always celebrate the new year on January 1.
The earliest recording of a new year celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamia, circa 2000 B.C.
That celebration – and many other ancient celebrations of the new year following it – were celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox, around March 20.
Meanwhile, the ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the autumnal equinox around September 20.
And the ancient Greeks celebrated on the winter solstice, around December 20.
By the Middle Ages, though, in many places the new year began in March. Around the 16th century, a movement developed to restore January 1 as New Year’s Day. In the New Style or Gregorian calendar, the New Year begins on the first of January.
Bottom line:
There’s no astronomical reason to celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1.
Instead, our modern New Year’s celebration stems from the ancient, two-faced, Roman god Janus – for whom the month of January is also named.
One face of Janus looked back into the past, and the other peered forward to the future.
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中国春节的传统和习俗 Chinese New Year, Its Customs And Traditions
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Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (simplified Chinese: 春节; traditional Chinese: 春節; pinyin: Chūnji&eacu
chinese new year or spring festival (simplified chinese: 春节; traditional chinese: 春節; pinyin: chūnji&), or the lunar new year (simplified chinese: 农历新年; traditional chinese: 農曆新年; pinyin: n&ngl& xīnni&n), is the most important of the traditional chinese holidays. it is an important holiday in east asia. the festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yu&) in the chinese calendar and ends on the 15 this day is called the lantern festival (simplified chinese: 元宵节; traditional chinese: 元宵節; pinyin: yu&nxiāoji&).
chinese new year's eve is known as ch&xī (除夕). chu literally means &change& and xi means &eve&.
celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic chinese, chinese new year is considered a major holiday for the chinese and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the chinese have had extensive interaction. these include koreans, mongolians, nepalese, bhutanese, vietnamese, and formerly the japanese before 1873. in singapore, indonesia, malaysia, the philippines, thailand, and other countries with significant chinese populations, chinese new year is also celebrated, largely by overseas chinese, but it is not part of the traditional culture of these countries.
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本文相关应用▼Major holidays and festivals in USA
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Major Holidays in America
Ten&federal holidays are
specified by the government in the U.S. However, each state can
choose&their own&variation of observable holidays. It is
possible&for some&some holidays to be observed in one
state&and not observed in others. Bank, schools, post offices, etc.,
are closed on legal
holidays. Many businesses are closed, as well. In addition, your employer may have other holidays the company observes.
Unlike other countries, many&U.S. holidays are celebrated
on days that are more convenient and are combined with weekends, rather than being observed
in the middle of the week. As most people don't work on Saturdays and Sundays,&many holidays are observed on Mondays.
Of course, not all holidays follow that pattern.&
Many people travel during holidays. Therefore, if you have any travel plans during holidays,
make sure to make arrangements (air tickets, reservations, etc.) at least one month in advance.
January 1. It is a federal holiday.
generally have New Year's parties and social gatherings. Many
people&may come home very late from the&previous day's New
Year's Eve parties. It is
generally dangerous to&drive during the early hours of New Year's Day, as many people may
be driving while intoxicated.
Observed the
third Monday in January. It is a federal holiday.
Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. was actually born on January 15. He was a civil rights leader (considered the Gandhi
of the U.S.).
February 14.
Celebrated in&memory of
St. Valentine. This holiday&is highly commercialized. Lovers express
their feelings&by exchanging gifts, flowers, and greeting cards. In
principle, a Valentine can be for anyone you care about, not just
or boyfriend/girlfriend. In practice, though, it is limited to lovers and spouses.
third Monday in February. It is a federal holiday.
Celebrated to honor the United States presidents.
George Washington's birthday: February 22.
Abraham Lincoln's birthday: February 12.
Many&stores have major sales on this day.
Primarily celebrated by people with Irish backgrounds. Many people wear green&clothes
and other items on this day.
This is&not really a holiday. People play lighthearted tricks on each other during this day. However,
be careful not to play tricks that may be harmful or cause injuries to anyone. It is supposed
to be innocent fun.
Not really a holiday. Always falls on Friday.
It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus.
Celebrated on&the Sunday
immediately&following Good Friday. It is celebrated&to&commemorate
the resurrection&of Jesus Christ. Christians believe it occurred on the&third day
after Jesus' crucifixion.
People paint Easter eggs with bright colors. Many places organize egg hunts
for kids. Egg hunts essentially involve hunting for hidden plastic eggs that contain candy.
It is a Jewish holiday. Passover
is celebrated on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish year called
Nisan. It celebrates the survival of the Jews in Egypt. Jews celebrate it
with a special ritual dinner called
Second Sunday in May.
Children send their mothers gifts, greeting cards, take them to dinner, or spend time with them.
In the U.S., children&typically move away&from their parents when they grow older. There is no concept
of joint family. Therefore, Mother's Day is celebrated to appreciate mothers.
Last Monday in May. It is a federal holiday.
It is the first major holiday in the year after New Year's Day. In many northern
states, swimming pools open on Memorial Day. (Before that, it is too cold to swim.)
Memorial Day commemorates Americans who fought for the country and died in wars.
The famous &Indianapolis 500& auto race is held on Memorial Day in Indianapolis, IN.
people travel on this long holiday weekend.
Third Sunday in June.
Children send their fathers gifts, greeting cards, take them to dinner, or spend time with them.
In the U.S.,
children&typically move away&from their parents when they grow
older. There is no concept of joint family. Therefore, Father's Day is
celebrated to appreciate fathers.
July 4. It is a federal holiday.
declared its independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. It is a very important day
in the history of the U.S.
There are&grand fireworks displays in many places
this night. Most fireworks start around 9:00 P.M. and last for 15-30 minutes. These fireworks are very beautiful.
Several other&activities take place this day,&like parades, community/family picnics, parties, or
softball games.
First Monday in September. It is a federal holiday.
In many northern states, swimming pools are closed on Labor Day.
Labor Day commemorates the American working tradition.
Many people travel on this long weekend. It is generally the last holiday before it gets cold
in most parts of the country.
Many stores have large sales&during this&weekend.
Second Monday in October. It is a federal holiday.
It celebrates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492.
October 31. It is&not a&holiday,&but rather a festival.
After it gets dark,
children&walk through&neighborhoods asking for candy. Children are often dressed in scary costumes, such as
a witch or&a ghost, or&costumes like fairies, cartoon characters, or whatever the
latest craze is.
On this night, children shout
&trick-or-treat.& &Trick-or-treat& means that if candy is not given to
them, the adult will be subject to a trick or prank. However,&saying
this is more a&formality. In practice, no one refuses to give candy and children don't generally play tricks.&
You will also see&pumpkins outside people's houses. Children&carve
faces into hollowed-out pumpkins and place lit candles inside, so the outline of the face glows in the dark.
These&carved pumpkins are called jack-o-lanterns.&
November 11. It is a federal holiday.
It honors the veterans who fought for America&in various wars.
Fourth Thursday in November. It is a federal holiday.
is a major holiday and&technically the&longest paid vacation
most people get. Many companies give the Friday after Thanksgiving off. If
not,&most employees will take a day of&vacation that Friday.
When you combine that with the weekend, it is four days off. Schools are generally closed during those days.
People typically reunite with their families during holiday. Thanksgiving dinner is a large production. Dinner primarily consists of
turkey with stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
Thanksgiving celebration started when the Pilgrims (early settlers) to Massachusetts survived the harsh
winter in 1621 with the help of Native Americans (called Indians) who helped them learn how to catch
eel and grow corn.
Most stores and businesses are closed on Thanksgiving Day. However, the day after Thanksgiving is
,&during which the biggest sales of
the year occur. It is also the official start of the&Christmas shopping season.
December 25. It is a federal holiday.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. As the majority of the U.S. population
is Christian, this is the biggest festival of the year.
Most businesses are closed on Christmas, and some even close early on Christmas Eve.&
Many people purchase&an evergreen tree, such as fir, pine or spruce, and decorate&it with lights, ornaments,
and tinsel. Some people buy artificial trees to decorate.
Many houses are decorated with&Christmas lights,&and you may see&animal models like reindeers
lit up in front yards.
Children believe that if they set out milk and
cookies on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus will&leave gifts&for them
under the&Christmas tree. Of course, Santa Claus
imaginary character.
December 26 - January 1.
African Americans celebrate family, community, and culture.
Dr. Maulana Kareng, a social activist, created this festival in 1966.
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