New Year is celebrated all around the world with different tune and time. All over the world, there are special beliefs about New Year. Hindu New Year Celebration of the Hindu New Year varies based on geographic location. Most Hindus live in India,but many have different traditions. For example, the Hindus of Gujarat, inwestern India, celebrate the New Year at the end of October, at the same time as the Indianfestival of Diwali. For the Diwali celebration, small oil lights are lit allalong the rooftops. In northern India, people wear flowers to celebrate the New Year, commonly in pink, red, purple,or white hues. Hindus in central Indiadisplay orange
flags, flying them from the top of buildings. In southern India, mothers put food, flowers, and small gifts on a special tray. On New Year's morning, children must keep their eyes shut until they have been led to thetray. Muslim New Year The Muslim New Year falls eleven days earlier than theprevious year because the Muslim calendar is based on the movements of themoon. In Iran, people celebrate the New Year in March. As the New Year approaches, Muslims setgrains of wheat or barley in small dishes and sprinkle them with water. Whenthe New Year arrives, the growth of the sprouted grains reminds people ofspring and a new year of life.
Jewish New Year The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah, and falls inthe seventh month, or Tishri, of the Jewish calendar (September - October). Rosh Hashanah is a holy time when people reflect on the things they have donewrong in the past, so they can improve in the future. Celebration of the NewYear begins at sunset the day before, and religious services are held at synagogues in observation. An instrument called a Shofar, made from a ram'shorn, is traditionally played and children are given new clothes to celebratethe New Year. In addition, New Year loaves are baked and fruit is eaten toremind people of harvest time. Chinese New Year The Chinese New Year is a lunar holiday that begins with thearrival of the second new moon following the winter solastice. It usuallystarts between mid-January and mid-February, (date varies) and lasts forfifteen days. As the New Year approaches, people clean their home to escape badluck in the upcoming year. Families gather for a feast on New Year's Eve, andstay up late, believing that it will prolong the lives of their elders. TheChinese people believe that evil spirits come around at New Year, so they letoff firecrackers to frighten them away. People often seal their windows anddoors with paper to keep the evil spirits out, as well.On New Year's Day, people dress in their best clothes andpresent one another with small gifts. Chinese people all over the worldcelebrate the first full moon with a colorful street procession, called the Festival of Lanterns. People fill the streets carrying lanterns and join agreat parade led by an enormous dragon. The Festival of Lanterns is believed tolight the way for the New Year. Bahai New Year The Bahai people have their own calendar consisting ofnineteen months of nineteen days plus a couple of extra days between theeighteenth and nineteenth months. They have however adopted the Iranian customof beginning the New Year in the spring equinox. The day begins at sunsetrather than midnight, and the New Yearcelebrations are held during the evening of March 20th. Korean New Year In Koreathe first day of the lunar New Year is called Sol-nal. This is for families torenew ties and prepare for the New Year. On the New Year's Eve people placestraw scoopers, rakes or sieves on their doors and walls to protect theirfamilies from evil spirit. Everyone dresses in new clothes, the followingmorning, symbolizing a fresh beginning, and gathers at the home of the eldestmale family member. Ancestral memorial rites are held, and then the younger generation bows to elders in the family. They wish them good health andprosperity in the coming year. The elders often then give newly minted money orgifts afterwards. New Year's Day food includes a bowl of rice cake soup.Koreans believe eating this soup will add an extra year of age to your life. Koreanage is actually calculated at the New Year. Everyone becomes a year older onNew Year's Day! Japanese New Year Celebration of the Japanese New Year ( Oshogatsu ) occurs onJanuary 1, as with Western nations. However, the Japanese people also observesome beliefs from their religion, called Shinto. For happiness and good luck, Japanese people hang a rope of straw across the front of their homes. Theybelieve it keeps the evil spirits away. Japanese people begin to laugh themoment the NewYear begins, so they will have good luck the whole year. Egyptian New Year In Egyptthe New Year is a public holiday and has a very festive atmosphere. Althoughthey know in advance when the New Year will begin, they still observe thecustom of the new crescent moon to be seen before the official announcement ismade. The sighting is carried out at the Muhammed Ali mosque which is at thetop of the hill in Cairo. Themessage is then passed on to the religious leader known as the Grand Mufti andhe proclaims the New Year. The men who wait outside the mosque wish each othera happy New Year by saying "Kol Sana We Enta Tayeb!" and then go hometo tell their families. Then all families sit down for a special New Yeardinner. On this day even the poorest of family serve some meat. No alcohol isserved because Muslims do not drink. Thai New Year The Thai New Year festival is called Songkran and lasts forthree days from 13 to 15 April according to the Gregorian calendar. The customsare many such as people throwing water over one another, hoping that it willbring good rains in the coming year and all the Buddha statues or images arewashed. They visit the monastery to pray and offer gifts of rice, fruit, sweetsand other foods for the monks. Another custom to bring good luck is to releasebirds from their cages or fish from their bowls. They carry a fish bowl to theriver to release their fish all at the same time as one another. They mightalso play the game known as Saba which is a game ratherlike skittles. Vietnamese New Year The Vietnamese New Year is called Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet forshort. The exact date changes from year to year, but it usually falls betweenJanuary 21 and February 19. A common Vietnamese belief is that the first personto enter a house at New Year will bring either good or bad luck. The Vietnamesealso believe that there is a god in every home who travels to heaven at the NewYear. In heaven, this god will reveal how good or bad each member of the familyhas been in the past year. Thus, the New Year is a time to reflect on the pastand improve in the future. A traditional Vietnamese belief is that the godtravels to heaven on the back of a fish, called a carp. Even today some peoplewill buy a live carp, and then free it in a river or pond. Cambodian New Year The people of Cambodiause the Indian Calendar to calculate the start of the New Year festival. Thefestival starts on the 12, 13 or 14 April according to the Gregorian calendarand lasts for three days. People clean and decorate their houses, as well asset up an altar to welcome the New Year Spirit Tevada Chhnam Thmey who is saidto come down to earth at this time. A statue of the Buudha is put on the altar,with flowers, candles, incense, a bowl of scented water, food and drink, andbanana leaves shaped into different figures. On the first day of the festivalpeople visit their local monastery and offer food to the monks. A special sandmound is built in the grounds of the monasteries on this day. The mound isdecorated with five religious flags, one on top of the mound and four aroundthe sides. Special games such as the Tug-Of-War, Angkunh and Boh Choong areplayed at the monasteries on each day of the festival. On the second day peoplegather with their families to wish each other a happy New Year and exchangegifts. They might also visit the monastery again to ask the monks to say aspecial prayer for their ancestors. On the third day the Buddha statues oftheir homes and the monasteries are washed. It is said this ensures good rainsduring the coming year. Children wash the feet of their parents as sign ofrespect on this day as well.
