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New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar. As a date in the Gregorian calendar of Christendom, New Year's Day liturgically marked the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, and is still observed as such in the Anglican Church and Lutheran Church. In present day, with most countries now using the Gregorian calendar as their de facto calendar, New Year's Day is probably the most celebrated public holiday, often observed with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts in each time zone.
==History==
Mesopotamia (Iraq) instituted the concept of celebrating the new year 2000 BC. The Romans dedicated New Year's Day to Janus, the pagan god of gates, doors, and beginnings, for whom the first month of the year, January, is also named. The pagan deity Janus was depicted as having two faces: one looking forward and the other backward, suggesting that celebrations of the new year are pagan traditions. Some suggested this occurred in 153 BC, when it was stipulated that the two annual consuls, after whose names the Romans identified the years, acceded to office on that day, though there is no consensus on the question.〔Michels, A.K. ''The Calendar of the Roman Republic'' (Princeton, 1967), p. 97-8.〕 After Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 46 BC as the Julian Calendar and was subsequently murdered, the Roman Senate voted to deify him on 1 January 42 BC, in honor of his life and his institution of the new rationalized calendar.〔Courtney, G. ''Et tu Judas, then fall Jesus'' (iUniverse, Inc 1992), p. 50.〕 Dates in March, coinciding with the March Equinox, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of Jesus Christ, or other Christian feasts were used throughout the Middle Ages as the first day of the new year, although their calendars nonetheless often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December.
Among the 7th century pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands, it was the custom to exchange gifts on the first day of the new year. This custom was deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemish and Dutch: "(Do not) make vetulas, (figures of the Old Woman ), little deer or iotticos or set tables (the house-elf, compare Puck ) at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks (Yule custom )."〔Quoting the ''Vita'' of St. Eligius written by Ouen.〕
Most nations of Western Europe officially adopted 1 January as New Year's Day somewhat before they adopted the Gregorian Calendar. In England, until the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752, the first day of the new year was the Catholic Feast of the Annunciation, on 25 March, also called "Lady Day". Dates predicated on the year beginning on 25 March became known as ''Annunciation Style'' dates, while dates of the Gregorian Calendar commencing on 1 January were distinguished as ''Circumcision Style'' dates, because this was the date of the Feast of the Circumcision, the observed memorial of the eighth day of Jesus Christ's life after his birth, counted from the latter's observation on Christmas, 25 December. Pope Gregory christened 1 January as the beginning of the new year according to his reform of the Catholic Liturgical Calendar.
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