New Year’s Celebrations in the Old World
Reading Time: 19 minutes The cobbled streets of Rome, the storybook villages nestled in the Bavarian Alps, and the ancient cities across the Old World are alive with time-honored New Year’s traditions. These celebrations, rich in history and cultural significance, mark the passage of time in ways that are as unique as they are profound. In these historic lands, New Year’s is not just a day but a deep experience that unites past and present.
New Year’s celebrations in the Old World are a tapestry of communal spirit, time-honored rituals, and the distinct sounds and scents of heritage. Each country and culture brings its own distinctive flavor to the celebrations, from the ringing of ancient bells in a European capital to the taste of a special cake that has been part of New Year’s Eve traditions for centuries. Join us as we delve into the heart of Old World New Year’s festivities and uncover the deep-rooted traditions that continue to enchant and unite people in the hope of a promising new year.
Babylonian Akitu (Ancient Mesopotamia)
In Ancient Mesopotamia, the Babylonian Akitu festival was a significant New Year celebration. This ancient tradition typically coincided with the vernal equinox, around the end of March. It was widely celebrated throughout the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age. The festival was deeply rooted in the agricultural calendar and was a time to pray for the fertility of the land and a prosperous year ahead.
Spanning twelve days, the Babylonian New Year allowed for intricate rituals to strengthen the relationship between the king and the gods and to celebrate the rebirth of nature. A key ritual was the “humiliation of the king,” where the reigning monarch was stripped of his symbols of power, slapped, and pulled by the ears before the statue of the chief god, Marduk. This ritual humiliation served to remind the king of his human imperfection and dependence on divine favor. Following this, a ritual of the king’s “restoration” took place, symbolizing the god’s forgiveness and the granting of his blessings for the New Year.
The Babylonian common folk also had their part in the New Year celebrations, which included processions and ritual acts. Festive meals, likely rich with grains, fruits, and meats, would have been shared during the holiday. The Akitu involved the carrying of god statues in a special procession from one temple to another, likely between Marduk’s temples in Babylon and his chief temple in Borsippa. These processions reenacted historical or mythological events and symbolized the cycle of life.
Chinese New Year (China)
Chinese New Year is one of China’s oldest holidays and traditional festivals, with a history of over 3,000 years, which many historians say originated during the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 – 1046 BC). Chinese New Year is a massive, lavish festival that begins on the first day of the Chinese calendar, usually between January 21 and February 20, and lasts 15 days, culminating in the Lantern Festival. As the festival is based on the lunar-solar calendar, its date marks the time when the agrarian culture of the past would end the winter season, mark the beginning of spring, and signal the start of the growing season.
The Chinese New Year festival is a colorful, exciting, and all-encompassing event steeped in a host of age-old traditions. Before New Year celebrations, families clean their houses from top to bottom to “sweep the dust”, clear out old luck and make way for the new. Homes and businesses will be decorated with red lanterns and couplets, which all symbolise good fortune and happiness. Special reunion dinner on the eve of the New Year is all about family, gathering with relatives and eating symbolic dishes of dumplings, fish, and niangao (rice cake), which symbolize wealth, abundance, and prosperity.
Welcoming in good luck, health, and prosperity are some of the most important beliefs and rituals practised during the Chinese New Year. Setting off firecrackers and fireworks helps scare off Nian, a mythical beast in Chinese folklore, and evil spirits. The giving of red envelopes (hongbao) containing money is also a popular tradition used to wish someone good fortune. Dragon and lion dances are often held in public spaces; these auspicious animals symbolise strength, goodness, and luck. They are performed in public to help dispel any more bad luck and attract good fortune for the new year.
Nowruz (Persian Empire)
Nowruz or No Ruz, which translates to ‘new day’, is the Persian New Year and an ancient festival that has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years, since the time of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BC). It is traditionally the first day of spring and the start of nature’s renewal, although not always on the vernal equinox and usually not until March 20th or 21st. Nowruz heralds new beginnings, as days start to become longer and the world awakes from its winter sleep.
The celebration of the New Year and new life is accompanied by several symbols and activities that date back centuries and bear unique elements of Persian cultural customs and beliefs. The most well-known of these is the Haft-Seen table (set). Haft-Seen is a creative arrangement of seven items beginning with the letter ‘S’ in the Persian alphabet, which are carefully chosen for their symbolism during the festive period.
In recent times, these items have commonly included sabzeh (sprouted wheat grass for rebirth), samanu (sweet pudding for affluence), senjed (dried oleaster fruit for love), sir (garlic for medicine), sib (apples for beauty and health), somaq (sumac for sunrise), and serkeh (vinegar for age and patience). Still, the Haft-Seen is an open tradition and can change depending on the host or household’s preferences. Nowruz itself is accompanied by many other activities, such as households ‘khooneh tekouni’ or ‘shaking the house’ by extensively cleaning out the old dust to make space for the new.
Visiting family and friends and welcoming guests in a festive meal is also commonplace, as are gifts and food such as sabzi polo (herbed rice) with mahi (fish) and kuku sabzi (herb frittata). The day is both a cultural celebration and a global message of peace and harmony with nature, and brings the message of the ancient Persian tenets of Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds to the world, uniting people together in solidarity for renewal.
Ancient Roman New Year (Rome)
The Ancient Roman New Year was originally celebrated on the 1st March of the year in the early Roman calendar. This date was changed to 1st January by Julius Caesar in 45 BC, as a result of the Julian calendar being introduced. The day was given to Janus, the god of gates and beginnings, from which the month’s name was also derived. The Roman New Year was considered a time to look back at the past year while also looking forward to the future. It was pretty appropriate that this time of renewal was named for the two-faced god with one face looking back and the other forward.
The Romans celebrated with various rites and festivities to honor the gods and secure a happy and lucky new year. Homes were decorated with laurel branches, and Romans would exchange small gifts of figs and honey and make well-being and sweetness wishes for the New Year. Coins for prosperity were another common gift, which may have been engraved with Janus’ image. Feasting was considered a critical element of the celebration, and extravagant meals were prepared to ensure abundance and good fortune. Sacrifices were made in the homes and in public places to Janus to secure a prosperous year.
At the New Year, Romans also made resolutions, often of a moral nature, to atone for past wrongs and live a better life in the new year. They may have apologized to their enemies, perhaps a practice that has echoed through the centuries of human civilization to the present day. The Ancient Roman New Year was a time of rejoicing but also of reconciliation and optimism for new beginnings.
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year holiday that falls on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishri, which usually falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. The biblical origins of Rosh Hashanah, meaning “Head of the Year” in Hebrew, have been celebrated for centuries, dating back to ancient Israel. The Rosh Hashanah holiday evolved, especially during the First and Second Temple periods, and is significant for Jews as it ushers in the ten Days of Awe culminating in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah is considered one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar and is observed with prayer, reflection, and specific rituals and foods.
Rosh Hashanah is a complex, solemn, and celebratory occasion, marked by specific foods and drinks, prayers, and holiday rituals. Its origins can be traced back to the Bible, and it is one of the oldest holidays observed by Jews to date. The traditional Rosh Hashanah foods and drinks, liturgy and prayers, and customs and rituals, with the shofar, or ram’s horn trumpet, an important instrument used on the holiday, are a means of atonement, repentance, and remembrance.
Rosh Hashanah services and traditions are typically observed at the synagogue, where a special prayer service, the sounding of the shofar, and Torah readings emphasize themes of creation, kingship, and remembrance. Traditional Rosh Hashanah foods are often sweet and symbolize wishes for a sweet year, with apples dipped in honey, pomegranates, and round challah bread being popular choices, as well as making festive Rosh Hashanah meals.
Diwali (India)
Diwali is one of the most popular and widely celebrated festivals in India. The origins of the festival can be traced back to ancient times, to the first millennium BCE. Diwali is usually celebrated over five days during the Hindu month of Kartika, which falls in October or November. Over the years, Diwali has evolved, incorporating many cultural and regional practices, making it a unique and diverse celebration.
Diwali is a festival full of light and color, with people lighting diyas (oil lamps) and candles in their homes and on the streets, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness and of knowledge over ignorance. Fireworks and the decoration of buildings with lights are standard, and people exchange gifts and sweets with friends and family. Special prayers and rituals, known as pujas, are performed to honor Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.
Food is an integral part of Diwali celebrations, with people preparing and sharing traditional dishes and sweets, such as ladoos, jalebis, and samosas. The festival is a time for rejoicing, reflection, and cleansing, with many people cleaning and decorating their homes in preparation for the festivities. Diwali is a complex, multi-dimensional celebration that reflects India’s diverse cultural and spiritual traditions. It is a time of renewal, social bonding, and joy, a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and hope over despair.
Al-Neirouz (Coptic Egypt)
Al-Neirouz is the Coptic New Year’s Day and it is one of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt’s largest festivals. The festival begins on the first day of the first month of the year, the month of Thout, which falls on September 11th of the Gregorian calendar, or September 12th during a leap year. Al-Neirouz celebrates the first day of the year, and while it was first introduced during ancient Egypt, it did not become a popular festivity amongst the Coptic people until after Egypt fell under the rule and Christianity was being persecuted.
In Egypt, the arrival of the New Year brings Al-Neirouz, a mix of ancient Egyptian culture and Christian influence. On this day, Copts return to their place of worship and attend their traditional church service. Hymns and prayers are recited in honor of the martyrs and saints, and special attention is given to the remembrance of the past year’s history.
It is a time of celebration, but also of sorrow. The martyrs and saints of the past are honored in special church services and prayers, and their lives are remembered as a symbol of perseverance and strength in the face of adversity. Bright red, the color of the martyrs’ blood, is standard, and Copts exchange visits with friends and family, well-wishing one another for the New Year.
It is also customary to prepare special foods to mark the occasion. Popular dishes include red dates and guava, and it is common for families to exchange visits, offering well-wishes for the New Year. Al-Neirouz is a time for the Coptic community to look back on their history, remember their heritage, and celebrate their faith and culture.
The Medieval European Feast of Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation, often called Lady Day, was an important feast day in Medieval Europe. This Christian holiday, celebrated on March 25th, commemorates the biblical event in which the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. From the Middle Ages until the 16th century, it was one of the three ‘Annunciation days’ that marked the start of the new year in much of medieval Christendom.
One of the main ways in which the Feast of the Annunciation was celebrated was through religious services and observances. In churches, the day was marked by special liturgies and masses commemorating the Incarnation of Christ. The Hail Mary prayer was recited with special devotion on this day. Church bells were rung to signal the beginning of the feast day and to invite people to the religious services.
In addition to these religious activities, the day was a time for people to gather and celebrate as a community. People would feast and enjoy a day of relaxation. An exceptional meal would be prepared to mark the occasion, which, in some cases, would have included foods not typically eaten during the Lenten season in which the feast fell.
In conclusion, the Feast of the Annunciation was a day of great religious and social significance in Medieval Europe. It was celebrated through a combination of religious observances and community festivities. The period during which it was most commonly celebrated is the Middle Ages, a time when religious feasts and holidays played a vital role in the lives of European Christians.
Songkran (Thailand)
Songkran is Thailand’s most popular and well-known festival. The festival celebrates the traditional Thai New Year, which has been practiced since ancient times. Songkran usually takes place between the 13th and 15th of April. The celebration date corresponds to the end of the dry season, when the annual rains begin, nature is revived, and life is restored. While Songkran has its roots in the Buddhist-Hindu history of Southeast Asia, the festival’s traditions have changed and been adapted over the centuries. Songkran is now a national festival celebrated in Thailand for centuries, and the water rituals are a trademark of the festival.
The Songkran celebrations usually follow a similar pattern across Thailand, and the festivities are an interesting mix of solemn and playful joy. The proper way to start the New Year is to clean the house and public areas, a symbolic act that signals a fresh start. Visiting temples is a must for Buddhists to offer food to the monks. Bathing the Buddha statues is a part of the celebration ritual that takes place during Songkran, and it is a tradition for the faithful to bring good luck and prosperity.
The tradition of ritual cleansing and purification is taken a step further by extending it to elderly members of society. Clean, scented water is poured over the elders’ hands as a sign of blessing and respect.
The most festive and entertaining side of Songkran is the water battles that take place across Thailand. Streets and crowds are full of joyful people splashing each other with water from buckets, hoses, and water guns. The fun is more than superficial, however, and washing each other with water is a symbolic way to get rid of the bad luck and sins of the past year and purify yourself for the coming year. Traditional food and sweet delicacies are prepared and shared between family and friends, and many people dance and enjoy themselves to music. The Songkran festival is full of community, purification, and joy.
Tsagaan Sar (Mongolia)
Tsagaan Sar (meaning “White Moon”) is how Mongolians celebrate the Lunar New Year and the end of winter. This holiday is usually celebrated at the end of January or February, depending on when the first new moon occurs after the winter solstice. The history of Tsagaan Sar dates back many hundreds of years. It is rooted in the nomadic lifestyles and Shamanist beliefs of ancient Mongolia, with later Buddhist influence on the festival.
The Lunar New Year is a time of cleansing and reinvigoration. Leading up to the celebration, Mongolians will clean their homes, settle any debts, and make preparations to start the new year fresh. On the day before the first new moon, families gather to share a feast in a ceremony called ‘Bituun’ to ensure a plentiful new year. Traditional foods are especially popular during this time of year, with “buuz” (steamed dumplings), “ul boov” (tower of layered cake), and dairy products all taking center stage during Tsagaan Sar. The reason many of these foods are white is to symbolize happiness, purity, and a clean slate to start the new year.
The color white also appears in traditional Mongolian clothing for this celebration. Mongolians visit their eldest family member’s home first, in age-ordered succession, and pay their respects. A family member greets their visitors and usually receives a gift of money from each visitor during this holiday. This is referred to as the practice of ‘Golgotha’. The exchange of snuff bottles (beautifully decorated bottles that held powdered tobacco) was also a familiar gesture among families or friends, as they were used to exchanging gifts.
Tsagaan Sar represents Mongolian values of respect for the earth and ancestors, peace, and friendship, as well as hope for a prosperous new year, which resonates well with the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolian people.
Oshogatsu (Japan)
Oshogatsu is the Japanese New Year, one of the most essential and most sentimental holidays in Japan. The holiday has been celebrated since the 8th century. Oshogatsu lasts from January 1st until January 3rd. The days between the 1st and 3rd are called ‘Sanganichi,’ which means the three big days. Japanese people have been celebrating the New Year according to the lunar calendar, similar to the Chinese New Year, until the 19th century, when Japan opened to the world and adopted the Gregorian calendar during the Meiji Restoration.
The day before the Japanese New Year is reserved for house cleaning in a tradition called ‘osoji.’ This means sweeping away the old to welcome the new and purifying the home for the New Year. Pine decorations called ‘kadomatsu’ and sacred Shinto straw ropes known as ‘Shimekazari’ are placed at the entrance to the house to welcome ancestral spirits and to bring good luck to the home.
The ringing of the temple bell 108 times at midnight, ‘Joya no Kane,’ is done to purify the soul and to rid the 108 earthly desires of man. Families make special foods, called ‘osechi-ryori,’ in a special box known as a ‘jubako.’ Each food and ingredient has a particular meaning, like good health, fertility, or prosperity. Rice cakes called ‘mochi’ are also eaten during the New Year celebrations.
Families gather to see the first sunrise of the year in a tradition called ‘Hatsuhinode,’ wishing for a bright year. Japanese people visit shrines and temples to pray for blessings in the New Year in a custom known as ‘Hatsumode.’ Oshogatsu is a sacred time full of rituals and practices that embody Japanese values of respect for nature and family, and a desire for peace and prosperity in the New Year.
Hogmanay (Scotland)
Hogmanay is the traditional Scots celebration of the New Year. Its traditions date back hundreds, possibly thousands of years, mixing Norse and Gaelic influences, and becoming a key event following the suppression of Christmas in the 17th century as a result of the Protestant Reformation.
The festival begins on the last day of the year, December 31st, and continues into the early hours of January 1st, with many activities continuing after the first day. Hogmanay includes several key customs and activities. The ‘First-Footing’ custom dictates that the first person to enter a home after the stroke of midnight will bring good fortune for the year ahead. This person, traditionally a dark-haired male, often brings gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, whisky, or black bun, each symbolizing warmth, food, flavor, and cheer.
Singing “Auld Lang Syne”, the Scottish poem set to a traditional tune, is also common. Edinburgh is famous for its Hogmanay celebrations, which include a large street party, concerts, and a fireworks display at midnight. Other traditions include the ‘burning of the clavie’ fire festival in Burghead, and the swinging of fireballs in Stonehaven, where locals parade with fiery balls above their heads.
Hogmanay symbolises the purging of the old year’s remnants and the welcoming of the new one with light and warmth. It’s a time for communities to come together, reflect, and look to the future with hope. Hogmanay is a lively and unique celebration, a joyous kick-off to the New Year.
Imbolc (Celtic)
The festival of Imbolc begins on the evening of February 1st and ends on the evening of February 2nd. It is a festival to celebrate the beginning of spring. The feast of Imbolc goes back to pre-Christian times in Ireland and Scotland and it was a popular feast in Celtic lands in the late Iron Age and early Medieval period. Imbolc is one of the four “fire” festivals in the Celtic tradition. It falls approximately halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
This is the time of year that nature begins to shake off its winter torpor, and a certain expectant tension begins to build as the days lengthen and the warmth of the sun grows stronger. The Celtic festival of Imbolc has survived as the feast of St. Brigid (February 1st), and there is evidence that the “Bride” customs are in part a legacy of this Celtic fire festival.
The Celts celebrated the changing of the seasons at Imbolc through various rituals, including offerings to the gods, particularly the goddess Brigid, associated with the dawn, spring, fertility, healing, and poetry. People would craft crosses made of rushes or reeds known as Brigid’s crosses. These were hung over doors to protect the home and livestock from harm and evil spirits. Homes were also cleaned, and hearths were re-lit to welcome back the light and warmth of the sun. Foods that are traditionally associated with Imbolc include dairy products and seeds, which symbolize the potential of the coming year and the future growth of crops and herds.
The festival was a time for purification and kindling of fires. Candles and fires would be lit to welcome back the warmth and celebrate the returning power of the sun as the days lengthened towards the summer solstice. Poetry, storytelling, and divination were typical pastimes at this time of the year, as it was the beginning of spring, and new growth, both physical and spiritual. It was a time to cast away the old and make preparations for the development and harvest that would come in the months ahead.
Embracing Traditions: A New Year’s Tapestry
As we have traversed the diverse landscape of Old World New Year’s celebrations, from the ancient cobblestones of Rome to the rugged highlands of Scotland, it becomes evident that these festivities are more than mere chronological milestones. They are a rich mosaic of culture, history, and shared human experience. Each unique tradition, with its distinct customs, foods, and beliefs, serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of hope and renewal that the New Year symbolizes worldwide.
The tapestry of traditions we have explored tells a compelling story of humanity’s continual quest to honor the past while embracing the future. Whether through lighting candles, sharing a meal, or singing ancient songs, these celebrations forge a connection to our ancestors and to each other. They remind us that, despite the passage of time and calendar changes, the desire for a fresh start and a better world is a universal hope that transcends ages and borders. As we celebrate the New Year in our ways, let us carry forward the lessons of unity, renewal, and joy that these Old World traditions so beautifully illustrate.
Featured Image Attribution: pelican, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
