31/12/2025
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
Do you know the HISTORY and the REASON why the new year had been celebrated?
YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT.
READ AND LEARN!!!
®HISTORY, REASON and SIGNIFICANCE why New Year is celebrated on January 1.
®SIGNIFICANCE:
New Year’s Day celebrations in most countries begin December 31, which is New Year’s Eve, and continue till the early hours of January 1.
During this time, party-goers share meals, good vibes and pray for good fortune in the coming year.
New Year’s Day is a happy occasion, which is celebrated annually on January 1st in accordance with the modern Gregorian calendar.
Across the world, people commemorate the occasion with their family members, relatives and friends, wishing them good luck and best wishes for another year; in many places there are massive gatherings.
People decorate their houses, have get-togethers, cook for their loved ones and even plan outings on this day.
In many places, people gather to watch customary fireworks.
It is believed that a new year is a new and clean slate, which is why people start afresh and make some resolutions on how they want to live their life.
A person can pledge to modify, change undesired habits or behaviours, and set personal goal(s).
Q: BUT, THE QUESTION ARISES AS TO WHY WE CELEBRATE THIS DAY AND CONSIDER IT TO BE SPECIAL?
® HISTORY:
It is said the concept of 'new year’ originated in ancient Babylon some 4,000 years ago, in the year 2,000 BC.
Babylonians conceptualised the new year with an 11-day celebration called ‘Akitu’ that included a different rite on each day, on the first new moon after the vernal equinox (typically around late March).
The festival commemorated the fabled victory of the sky deity Marduk over sea goddess Tiamat, as well as the act of crowning a new monarch or permitting the previous king to rule.
Q: WHY NEW YEAR IS BEING CELEBRATED ON JANUARY 1?
The early Roman calendar became out of sync with the sun over the years, and in 46 BC, emperor Julius Caesar resolved to fix the problem by contacting the most important astronomers and mathematicians of the period.
Thus, the Julian calendar was established, which is similar to the current Gregorian calendar.
Interestingly, CAESAR MADE JANUARY 1 THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR PARTIALLY TO CELEBRATE JANUS, the ROMAN DEITY of beginnings.
Some SCHOLARS REGARD JANUS AS THE god OF ALL BEGINNINGS and believe that his association with doorways is derivative.
HE WAS INVOKED AS THE FIRST OF ANY gods IN REGULAR LITURGIES.
THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, MONTH, and YEAR, both calendrical and agricultural, WERE SACRED TO HIM.
THE MONTH OF JANUARY IS NAMED FOR JANUS (Ianuarius).
ROMANS COMMEMORATED JANUS' BIRTHDAY BY PRESENTING SACRIFICES to him, EXCHANGING PRESENTS, DECORATING THEIR HOMES with laurel branches, AND THROWING WILD CELEBRATIONS.
LATER, CHRISTIAN AUTHORITIES IN MEDIAEVAL EUROPE TEMPORARILY REPLACED JANUARY 1 AS THE BEGINNING DAY OF THE YEAR with days that THEY BELIEVED HAD GREATER RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE, such AS DECEMBER 25 (the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ) AND MARCH 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation).
IN 1582, POPE GREGORY XIII REESTABLISHED JANUARY 1 AS NEW YEAR'S DAY, WHICH HAS BEEN CELEBRATED SINCE.
NOW YOU KNOW!
📌What do you think?
📌Is it biblical and godly to celebrate New Year?
📌Is there any spiritual significance or relevance to celebrate new year?
1. As a Christian or as a bible-believer, do we need to celebrate New Year?
2. How does New Year's Celebration affect us and or our belief and Christian life?
3. Is there any significance or benefit that we could get from celebrating new year?
SCRIPTURE VERSE TO PONDER:
GALATIANS 4:8-10 (NLT)
8 BEFORE you GENTILES knew God, YOU WERE SLAVES TO SO-CALLED GODS THAT DO NOT EVEN EXIST.
9 So NOW THAT YOU KNOW GOD (or should I say, now that God knows you), WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK AGAIN AND BECOME SLAVES ONCE MORE TO THE WEAK and USELESS SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES OF THIS WORLD?
10 You are TRYING TO EARN FAVOR WITH GOD BY OBSERVING certain DAYS or MONTHS or SEASONS OR YEARS.