New Years Day
It is interesting to note how we in the Western world self-indulge so much as to think “the world” includes only us. That is, how do we say “the world” celebrates new years day when more than half the population doesn’t even recognize it as a significant date/event on their calendar. That is, when over at least 3 billion people (across India, China, South-East Asia, Africa, South America) were cozily sleeping in their beds, it bearing no significance to them whatsoever that the Gregorian calendar rolled over to 2007: no new years resolutions, no celebration, just another day. That is how I felt when I was in my home town in India, where people still traditionally follow the Tamil (non-Gregorian) calendar.
Most indigenous cultures around the world observe (and have observed for thousands of years), their new years day as the start of the vernal equinox. Even the early Roman Calendar prior to Christianity had their new years day in mid-March. However, the date of January 1 is not based on any astronomical significance, but religious. Apparently January 1 (the eighth day counting from December 25th) is the “Feast of the Circumcision [of Christ]“.
For example, for Hindus (a little over 1 billion people) the new years day is computed from the sidereal vernal equinox, at the point when the Sun enters the Aries zodiac. This date is the first day of the month of Chithirai (சித்திரை). This corresponds to mid-April of the Gregorian Calendar. FYI, in the Hindu calendar, today (the 1st day of January, by Gregorian Calendar) is the 17th day of the month of Margazhi (மார்கழி).
Since the Hindu calendar is based on astronomical observation, there is a variation of +/- 2 days when translating to the corresponding Gregorian Calendar date. For example, the Hindu new year which starts on the first of Chithirai, this year translates to April 15; the next year it may translate to April 14. See Hindu calendar. The Hindu new year has been observed for more than 5100 years.
Note: I’m not saying we shouldn’t have an internationally agreed upon standard date for resetting the year, which for historical and financial reasons came to be January 1. I’m fine with that, just as we have adopted English as the official language even though there are a number of far more refined and elegant languages.