In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day occurs on January 1st
The New Year symbolizes more than just a new beginning. It is a time for a celebration of the new and old, a time to hope for a better and brighter future, and a time of excitement and optimism. As the most celebrated holiday in the world, how will you celebrate your New Year's Day 2023? Partying with friends, following old customs, feasting with family or staying in watching the ball drop on the TV. Here's a guide on how cultures around the world mark this important start of the new year
What is New Year's Day?
Romans began marking the start of their civil year on January 1
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When is new year's day?
Who celebrate New year's day?
What is the Cultural Background
Religious and Cultural celebrationHow do they set the day?
Marking the first day in the Gregorian calendarAs January 1st is the first day of the year, according to the Gregorian calendar, people celebrate, with a special funfair, the start of the incoming year. It is both a religious and a secular holiday marked by visiting places of worship for a blessing, watching mesmerizing firework displays, or partying the night away with friends and loved ones in pubs and social gatherings.
All countries that observe the Gregorian calendar will mark New Year's Day, January 1st, as an official public holiday. Some countries may also have January 2nd as an additional New Year holiday. Regarding day off, if New Year's Day falls on a Saturday, the previous Friday will usually be a public holiday. And if it falls on a Sunday, like New Year's Day 2023, the public holiday falls on the following Monday. How to make the days off longest? For New Year's Day 2023, the public holiday is on a Monday, and people can enjoy a three-day weekend without taking additional leave. Head out on Friday after work, enjoy two full days at the destination and travel back on Monday.
As around 90% of the world's population will observe a public holiday on January 1st, what about the other 10%? Some countries don't have a day off on January 1st mainly due to religious reasons. For example, Israel follows the Jewish calendar. Egypt follows the Coptic calendar, which marks major festivals twelve days later than most other countries that follow the Gregorian calendar.
Origin and History of New Year's Day
Comparatively, celebrating the New Year on January 1st, according to the Gregorian calendar, is a relatively new practice. It was in 1582 that Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar. It was quickly adopted in some areas of Europe but not universally used in Europe as the civil calendar until centuries later. The United Kingdom and the United States, for example, didn't start observing the Gregorian calendar until 1752.
In terms of the historic New Year's Day timeline, the first New Year was recorded in 5000 B.C. to signify the vernal equinox as the start of a new year and to mark the ancient Babylonian festival of Akitu. In 46 B.C., the establishment of the Leap Years occurred. Julius Caesar changed the calendar from pre-Julian to Julian by adding a day every four years to balance the lunar and solar calendars. Later on, in the 16th century, many European nations and their colonies adopted January 1st as New Year's Day. As of 2021, there are 168 of the world's countries use the Gregorian calendar as their civil calendar. It makes January 1st, New Year's Day, the most celebrated holiday in the world.
What's Open on New Year's Day 2023?
As a public holiday, government offices are closed on New Year's Day
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New Year's Day, January 1st, is a public holiday in all countries that observe the Gregorian calendar, except for Israel. Hence it is the world's most widely observed public holiday. As a result, government offices, post offices, banks, schools, national parks and many businesses like shops are closed on this day. Depending on location, retail and restaurant industries gradually loosen the rules about closing on New Year's Day. Retail giants like 7-Eleven, CVS and Target in the US will remain open on January 1st, though hours will be different. To make the most of your New Year's Day 2023, remember to check the opening hours of major attractions and venues beforehand.
Why Do We Love New Year's Day So Much?
The New Year is a time filled with possibilities and excitement
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A blank page
New year, new start, new … everything! It is a time filled with excitement, possibilities and optimism. With the stress of the holiday season over, you can start a whole new year on a blank page. Travel, learn, challenge and explore, it is a new beginning filled with promises.Stress-free
While there are some traditional customs to be observed during the New Year, all in all, it is a no fuss, no stress holiday. There is no pressure to find that perfect gift for everyone and no specific way to celebrate or religious observances like during Christmas and Easter. On New Year's Day, there's little obligation to eat the same meal with the same people at the same place every year.Rejoice in your healthy habits
Keto, vegan, Paleo or Atkins… No matter what diet you've been on the last year to stay healthy and fit, you can rejoice and be proud of your decisions and sacrifices on New Year's Day. Because today, everyone's trying to be like you – starting a new health regime as a New Year resolution. Popular New Year's Day 2023 Customs and Practices
Fireworks display is a popular way to celebrate the New Year
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While the New Year is observed worldwide with unique regional customs, many classic and iconic New Year's Day practices are shared across cultures in our ever-connected world. Here is a selection of popular New Year's activities and how they come about. Start the new year off with a bang
Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year's Eve into New Year's Day are believed to have originated in ancient times. The noise and fire were thought to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck. While some parts of the world still prefer to fire celebratory gunfire, other common ways of making a loud bang include blowing noise horns, ringing bells (e.g. church bell or temple bell), and setting off fireworks. Make a resolution
Historically speaking, the tradition of making New Year's Day resolutions goes back more than 4,000 years old. Mesopotamians and Babylonians were among the earliest cultures to celebrate the changing of the year by making promises to repay debts or return borrowed objects. Today, the most common resolutions include losing weight, eating healthier, learning a new skill, drinking less alcohol and getting a raise at work or a new job. Sing "Auld Lang Syne"
Auld Lang Syne" is the tune most sang and frequently associated with the New Year. The lyrics are credited to Scottish poet Robert Burns, who set the words to an old folk tune in 1788. Meaning "old long since" or "a long time ago", the song followed Scottish immigrants to the new world and later, it was performed and gained popularity during New Year's Eve concerts in New York. Clean out your closet
To get a clean new start to the year, some believe it is essential also to clean out your house, including old clothes, unwanted clutter and unwearable shoes. Remember, out with the old and in with the new.How Will New Year's Day 2023 Be Celebrated Around the World?
Ring in the New Year with a bell, a gong or a loud bang
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As New Year's Day is celebrated in many countries, how peoples and cultures mark this day takes on fascinating regional twists. Here are some interesting local practices that'll take place this New Year's Day 2023 around the world. Families gather to kick off the New Year by eating a warm bowl of soba noodles or Udon. Eating the long noodle symbolises the crossing from one year to the next. This tradition is tied to a Buddhist temple giving noodles to the poor.New Year celebration starts on the night before. While fancy parties and big fireworks displays are common on New Year's Eve, millions of Americans also stay up to watch the Times Square Ball Drop at the stroke of midnight on TV. New Year's Day parades are held in many cities, and some are even televised.It's summer on New Year's Eve, so locals rush to the beach after midnight, dressed in all white to represent purity, and then jump seven waves while making seven wishes. This tradition is rooted in paying homage to the goddess of water, Yemanja.Local tradition has it that throwing old plates at someone's home will bring them good luck in the coming year. In fact, the more broken dishes at the doorstep, the better the next year will be. As Christmas was banned in Soviet Russia, New Year's Day became the big gift-giving occasion. People will receive gifts delivered by Ded Moroz or Father Frost.Onions symbolise good luck and fertility to the Greeks as they sprout even when no one is taking care of them. On New Year's Eve, Greek families hang bundles of onions above their doors to invite prosperity into the home. Then on New Year's Day, parents will wake up the children by gently knocking their little heads with the onions that were outside.What Food to Eat on New Year's Day 2023?
There are numerous unique New Year's Day food traditions worldwide
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Yes, there are distinctive and regional New Year's Day food traditions. Different cultures consider certain foods to be good luck for the New Year. If you want to fully experience the New Year in a new culture, don't forget to feast on these popular festival foods this New Year's Day 2023. Put pork on the menu
Whether it's fried, boiled or barbequed, pork of any style on New Year's Day is believed to bring good luck and progress throughout the coming year. Plus, pig in many traditions represents abundance and prosperity. So, it's no surprise that pork is on the New Year's Day menus in Portugal, Austria, Cuba, and Hungary. In the US, eating pork during the New Year is a German and Eastern European tradition brought to America by early settlers.Add some Cabbage
Along with pork that's hailed from Germany and Eastern Europe, is eating cabbage of some form. Cabbage on New Year's is steeped in symbolism - the strands of cabbage in sauerkraut or coleslaw symbolize long life, while cabbage can also represent money. So, by eating it on New Year's Day, you wish each other as many riches as there are shreds of cabbage in the sauerkraut.Eating black-eyed peas
The tradition of eating black-eyed peas goes back over 1,500 years as a Jewish New Year's Day tradition. It arrived in Georgia in the Southern United States with Sephardic Jews around 1730. Also, African Americans marked their freedom on January 1, 1863, by eating black-eyed peas. Today the custom is to eat black-eyed peas, greens and cornbread for New Year's Day as these three ingredients represent pennies, dollars, and gold.Eat something round
In the Philippines, families will prepare 12 round fruits, like grapes and plums, during the New Year, hoping for good fortune next year. Locals believe these round fruits represent prosperity because of their shape, and 12 fruits represent each year's month. Make a fish dish
A symbol of abundance the world over, fish is often present at the New Year's Day feast. The way it's eaten differs depending on the region. In Asian cultures, people feast on whole fishes, and in Europe, people prefer carp, herring, and cod.Plan Your New Year's Day 2023 Holiday With Trip.com
New Year's Day is an amazing time to see the world
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New Year's Day 2023 is a great time to travel and experience different cultures.
Check out these Trip.com New Year experiences and offers here
FAQ
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What day is New Year's Eve 2023?
New Year's Eve 2023 falls on Saturday, December 31st.
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What day is New Year's Eve?
New Year's Eve is December 31st, the last day of the calendar year.
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What to do on New Year's Day?
Popular activities on New Year's Day include making resolutions, family gatherings, cleaning the house, and setting off fireworks.
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Why shouldn't you do the washing on New Year's Day?
According to folklore, doing laundry on New Year's Day could mean a family member will be washed away (i.e., die) this coming year.
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What shops are open on New Year's Day?
Depending on specific locations, but in the UK and the US, many shops and grocery stores will be open, but with reduced hours.
