(CNN) — The New Year is a time when many people make resolutions to break bad habits and start better practices. And most traditions are also believed to ensure good luck for the coming year.
In many parts of the United States, black-eyed beans are eaten on New Year’s Day for good luck, while in Spain and other Latin American countries, people routinely eat 12 grapes to ring the bells of midnight.
But when is New Year celebrated?
The earliest New Year celebrations were in Mesopotamia, dating back to 2000 BC. C. The early Romans used March 1 as New Year’s Day, while other cultures used the fall equinox or winter solstice to mark the new year.
For its part, in 1582 the Roman Catholic Church adopted the Gregorian calendar, marking January 1 as the new year.
January is named after Janus who has two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back.
Places where New Year is celebrated in another era
Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries and is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese lunar calendar. This January 22, 2023 marks the first day of the Chinese New Year beginning in the year 4721. This is the Year of the Rabbit.
People visit Yu Garden during the Lantern Festival celebration marking the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations on February 15, 2022 in Shanghai. (Photo by Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
Lunar New Year is celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice, usually from January 21 to February 20 in the Gregorian calendar.
Lunar New Year celebrations begin on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese calendar and continue until the 15th day of the lunar month, when the moon is full.
Chinese legend says that the Buddha asked all animals to find him on New Year’s Day, and named the twelve animals that arrived each year.
The animals of the Chinese calendar are Dog, Pig/Pig, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey and Rooster.
Diwali
The Hindu holiday of Diwali is the biggest and brightest national holiday in India. But Indians from all over the world come together to celebrate Deepa festival.
Celebrating the victory of good over evil and light over darkness, light is an important physical and spiritual symbol of the holiday. Diwali is as important to Hindus as Christmas is to Christians, and marks the start of a new financial year for Indian businesses around the world.
People light earthen lamps on the banks of the Sarayu River during Dipotsav celebrations ahead of the Hindu festival of Diwali in Ayodhya on November 3, 2021. (Photo by Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)
For many Indians, Diwali honors Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth. They light up their houses and open their doors and windows to welcome you. Apart from Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs also celebrate Diwali in countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore. The legends and customs that accompany Diwali celebrations vary between religions and regions.
Nowruz
Just as spring is a time of rebirth, Persian New Year is a time to celebrate new life. Nowruz is celebrated on the vernal equinox, i.e. March 20.
This celebration of spring is filled with symbolism around rebirth and renewal, because spring is a time when life returns after a long, cold winter, said London-based human rights activist and author Yasmin Khan. “Saffron Tales: Recipes from a Persian Kitchen“Y “Zaytoun: Recipes and Stories from a Palestinian Kitchen.” Both of Khan’s cookbooks inspire and provide a window into the cultures and stories of Middle Eastern people through food.
People watch a water show as they celebrate the Persian New Year Nowruz (Nowruz) festival at the Mall of Iran in Tehran, capital of Iran, on March 20, 2022. (Photo by Getty Images/AFP)
Megan Marbles and Emanuella Grinberg contributed to this report.
