The New Year is celebrated by people all over the world. But not many know the history and interesting facts about the New Year.
According to the Gregorian calendar, the new year falls on January 1. Here are some interesting New Year's scientific facts for you to know, summarized from various sources.
It's been around since 4,000 years ago
The oldest New Year's celebration in recorded history was the New Year's celebration in Babylon 4,000 years ago.
The start of the celebration is not January 1
Initially, the New Year celebration was actually held at the end of March as well as to celebrate a large religious festival called Akitu. This celebration was carried out by the Babylonians for 11 full days.
The first Roman emperor to make January 1 a holiday
Julius Caesar, Emperor of Rome established January 1 as the first day of the new year. He was also the first to declare January 1 as a holiday. January is taken from Janus, the name of the Roman god of doors and gates. Janus has two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back. Caesar felt that January was appropriate for this god's name.
There is a tradition of eating vegetables in the New Year
This tradition says, the more green leafy vegetables a person eats, the more prosperity he will experience, as a result the healthier the person is. Nuts considered to bring prosperity look like coins.
The habit of drinking champagne
In western countries, many people celebrate the New Year by opening a bottle of champagne. Americans, for example, drink nearly 360 million glasses of wine during New Year's celebrations.
Julius Caesar's calendar is invalid
Julius Caesar's calendar was eventually invalidated and the new timekeeping was based on the Gregorian calendar initiated by Dr. Aloysius Lilius with the official approval of Pope Gregory XIII. This calendar is used by the world today.
The standard and naming of time in the Gregorian calendar is based on the birth of Jesus Christ. The names are: AD (AD/Anno Domini) and BCE (BC/Before Christ).
More neutral naming
In a more modern era, European Protestant scientists have proposed a new, more neutral name, namely CE (Common Era/AD) and B.C.E (Before Common Era).
In addition to the Gregorian New Year, in this world there are many New Year's celebrations and calendars that are also used officially by some circles. In fact, they all have their own timing. For example, we also know the Hijri New Year which is celebrated by Muslims, Chinese New Year which is celebrated by Chinese descendants, the Saka New Year of Hindus, and many more.
