The History of the New Year

Every year at the stroke of midnight on the first day of January, people all around the world celebrate the beginning of a brand new year.

Still few really give much thought to the history of this holiday, and in particular to the calendar which so keenly keeps the order of everyday life.

So for Remembered Places this week, Patch walked back a few thousand years or so to discern why the year resets annually exactly one week after Christmas.

The simple answer is that January 1, marks the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar, which is what most countries use as their main registry of dates.

But like most things in life, there’s a great deal more beneath the surface of this western holiday tradition.

It’s perhaps not surprising that the month January in the Gregorian calendar—which is steeped in Roman tradition—honors the ancient Roman god Janus, known as the god of gates, doors and new beginnings.

Represented as having two faces, one of which looked towards the future, the other to the past, the pagan god Janus signified transition from new to old.

Accordingly, the eve of Janus was marked by an evening of reflection as one year drew to a close with the dawning of a new one.

However, it wasn’t until the time of Julius Caesar that the official start of the New Year was moved from the beginning of March to January.

In fact, up until 153 B.C., Romans actually celebrate the new year on March first with a huge celebration that offered praise to the god of war (i.e., Mars). 

Today, little is known about the specifics of these early Roman celebrations, though it’s widely agreed that the early pagans, who were known for letting go of all discipline and rules for behavior during times of celebration, would have likely partied as hard as we do now.

Nonetheless, New Year's Day is the closest thing to a global public holiday and is celebrated around the world, even in countries that don't use the Gregorian calendar.