Christian New Year

Christian or Gregorian New Year falls on January 1st. Countries following the Gregorian Calendar celebrate the New Year on this date. Gregorian Calendar is a modification of the Julian Calendar established by the Roman Emporer, Julius Caesar in 46 BC. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII of Rome, abolished Julian Calendar as it was slightly long and caused vernal equinox to drift backwards in the calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Gradually Gregorian Calendar gained acceptance in several countries across the world as it created a balance between seasons and calendar.

Christian/Gregorian New Year Traditions
New Year traditions create a sense of responsibility and also ties an emotional bond of togetherness, belief and faith. New Year traditions are being followed with immense devotion and joy by the people of Christian community. Tradition of New Year Baby is used as a symbol of rebirth by many Christians. Image of a baby with New Year's banner is displayed at many houses.

New Year festivities are incomplete without singing the traditional Auld Lang Syne song. It means 'the good old days'. People sing this song altogether on the New Year's Eve. Traditionally, it is thought one's fate is determined according to the type of food consumed on the first day of the year. People prepare auspicious meals and celebrate the New Year by eating black-eyed peas. Similar to this, the tradition of first-footing is also practiced very seriously by Christians. The visitor should be a tall and dark-haired man.

One tradition of the season is the making of New Year's resolutions. Many people keep New Year resolutions in the coming year. They even pledge to get their desires fulfilled. Modern New Year resolutions are the promise to lose weight or quit smoking and many more.

Another famous tradition of New Year Parades is attended with excitement by people of all age groups. These parades are preceded by the football game which is the main attraction of the festival. Last but not the least, New Year traditions also include the bursting of crackers and other fireworks to scare off the evil spirits and bring in good fortune.

Christian New Year Celebrations
New Year ushers in the festive spirit. People splurge in the New Year activities with fun and excitement. New Year brings in happiness and so people make it a grand affair to welcome the coming year. New Year celebrations begin with the New Year Eve. Christians attend balls, theme and private parties to celebrate the New Year. Party halls are booked in advance and there is rarely any place which is not hit by the partiers. Festive music and songs rock the New Year parties. People dress up in their best clothes to celebrate the New Year. At the stroke of 12 at midnight, people make a lot of noise, hug, kiss and wish each other “Happy New Year”.

New dawn is welcomed with open arms by the Christians. Even after partying all night, Christians don't delay to visit the church on the New Year's Day. They spend the day with family and friends, go to picnics, watch movies and have favorite meals.

Aravind T..

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Hindu New Year

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.

History of Vikram Samvat
The origin of Hindu New Year relates to the legendary Hindu King Vikramaditya in 57 BC. According to the legend, King Gardabhilla (in 12th century CE) abducted a nun by the name of Saraswati. She was the sister of the famous Jain monk Kalakacharya. The helpless monk sought help of the Saka ruler in Sakasthana to defeat Gardabhilla. He was defeated and captivated by the Saka King. Though later released but Gardabhilla retired to the the forest where he was killed by a tiger. His son, Vikramaditya (brought up in the forest) later invaded Ujjain and pushed out the Sakas. Thus, to celebrate this event, he commemorated a new era called Vikram Samvat.

Hindu New Year Celebrations
Multifarious religions are practiced in India and so are the celebrations of various festivals. Hindu New Year is celebrated with gaiety and pomp all over India. Verve of the festival can be seen mostly among the people of North India and Gujarat. New Year in Southern India also emphasize the Hindu New Year but the date and New Year traditions vary.

• Punjab : New year starts on 13th April.
• Assam : New year starts on 14th or 15th of April.
• Bengal : New year starts on 14th or 15th April.
• Gujarat : New Year starts on Karthik Shukla Pratipada.
• Kerala : New year starts in the month of Medam (on the day when the Sun enters in the constellation Leo).
• Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka : New Year falls on Chaitra Shuddha Prathipade.
• Sikkim : New Year starts on 18th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan Lunar Calendar.
• Maharashtra : New Year starts in the month of Chaitra
• Tamil Nadu : New year starts on 13th or 14th of April.

People light oil lamps and decorate the house with auspicious flowers those with the color like pink, red, purple or yellow. Rangoli design is also an attractive part of New Year decorations. Indians get up early in the morning, take bath and wear new clothes. They bring home deities of Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of wealth) and Lord Ganesha. Prayers are offered and prasad is distributed among the family members. At the time of New Year, gifts and sweets are exchangd with each other. People consider this festival to be an auspicious time to begin New Year


Aravind T..

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