A platform for good or an outdated and harmful tradition?
While January 1 marks the start of the new year for many, numerous cultures celebrate New Year's Day on different dates, often tied to lunar calendars, seasonal cycles, or religious traditions. These celebrations reflect unique histories and customs, often focusing on themes of renewal, reflection, and gratitude.
From the vibrant Lunar New Year in East Asia to Bali's reflective Day of Silence, click on to explore the diverse ways cultures welcome a fresh start.
The Lunar New Year, celebrated between January 21 and February 20, marks the start of the year in the Chinese calendar.
Traditions include family reunions, red envelopes for luck, feasting, and festive decorations like red lanterns. Firecrackers are lit to ward off evil spirits, and lion dances are performed to celebrate the new beginning.
Islamic New Year, also known as Hijri, marks the start of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Since it follows a lunar cycle, the date varies each year, typically occurring 10-12 days earlier than the previous Gregorian year.
The occasion is solemn, focusing on prayers, reflection on the Prophet Muhammad's migration, and charity, with celebrations varying across Muslim-majority countries.
Rosh Hashanah, meaning "Head of the Year," is the Jewish New Year, typically celebrated in September or October, depending on the Hebrew calendar. It marks the beginning of the High Holy Days and the start of the Ten Days of Awe, a period of reflection, repentance, and atonement.
Traditions include the blowing of the shofar ("ram's horn"), reciting prayers, and eating symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey to ensure a sweet year ahead.
Homes are adorned with oil lamps (diyas), fireworks light up the night sky, and prayers are offered to the goddess Lakshmi for prosperity. Families also exchange sweets and gifts, making it a time of joy and togetherness.
For Hindus, Diwali marks the start of the New Year, typically celebrated in October or November, depending on the lunar calendar. Known as the Festival of Lights, it symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year, is celebrated from April 13 to 15. The vibrant festival features water-splashing, symbolizing purification and renewal.
Families visit temples to make merit (i.e. do good) and cleanse Buddha statues. It's also a time for family reunions, with people gathering to share meals and celebrate together.
Nowruz is the celebration of the spring equinox, typically observed on March 20 or 21, marking the start of the new year in many cultures, including for Kurds, Persians, and other ethnic groups in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Nowruz symbolizes renewal, freedom, and the victory of light over darkness. The celebration includes bonfires, dancing, music, and family gatherings.
Celebrations include church services, traditional songs, and family gatherings with injera ("flatbread") and stews. People exchange bouquets of flowers as gifts.
The Ethiopian New Year, or Enkutatash, is celebrated on September 11 (or 12 in a leap year), marking the end of the rainy season.
Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated with family reunions and traditions. Homes are cleaned, special dishes like banh chung are prepared, and prayers are offered to ancestors.
Children receive red envelopes with money for good luck. Public celebrations include fireworks, dragon dances, and vibrant decorations, creating a festive atmosphere.
Families reunite to honor ancestors with charye ("ancestral rites"), exchange gifts, and wear hanbok, traditional Korean attire.
Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, is celebrated with ancestral rituals, traditional games like yutnori, and the eating of tteokguk ("rice cake soup"), which symbolizes growing a year older.
In Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia, the Theravada New Year festivals are celebrated in April. This three-day Buddhist festival is predominantly observed by followers of Theravada Buddhism.
The celebrations include temple visits, prayers, and water splashing on Buddha statues and people for cleansing and blessings.
Nyepi, or the Day of Silence, marks the Balinese New Year, which is celebrated in March according to the Balinese lunar calendar. The day is observed with fasting, meditation, and complete silence, intended to cleanse the island of bad spirits.
Leading up to Nyepi, vibrant parades, processions, and offerings are made to drive away negative energies, ensuring a fresh start for the year ahead.
While Japan celebrates New Year's Day on January 1, Setsubun marks a traditional "New Year" transition, usually celebrated on February 3. It marks the beginning of the spring season.
During Setsubun, people throw roasted soybeans to drive away evil spirits and welcome good luck for the year ahead. The festival is a lively way to usher in a fresh start.
Nepali New Year, or Navavarsha, is celebrated in April, marking the start of the new year in the Bikram Sambat calendar, which is around 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar.
The festival involves family gatherings, prayers at temples, traditional dances, and feasting. People wear new clothes, exchange gifts, and celebrate with vibrant cultural performances.
Sources: (SBS News) (Daily Passport)
Traditions include cleaning homes, lighting the hearth at an auspicious time, preparing traditional sweets like kiribath ("milk rice"), and performing cultural rituals.
Aluth Avurudu, or the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, celebrated in mid-April in Sri Lanka, marks the solar transition and the start of the new year for these communities. This harvest festival signifies renewal and family unity.
Celebrations include cleaning homes to ward off bad spirits, offering prayers, lighting butter lamps, and feasting on traditional foods. Families gather, exchange gifts, and participate in cultural performances and dances.
Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is celebrated in February or March, depending on the lunar calendar. It marks the start of a new year and the arrival of spring.
Cultures that don’t celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1
Exploring diverse celebrations around the world
LIFESTYLE Celebrations
While January 1 marks the start of the new year for many, numerous cultures celebrate New Year's Day on different dates, often tied to lunar calendars, seasonal cycles, or religious traditions. These celebrations reflect unique histories and customs, often focusing on themes of renewal, reflection, and gratitude.
From the vibrant Lunar New Year in East Asia to Bali's reflective Day of Silence, click on to explore the diverse ways cultures welcome a fresh start.