90
The Gregorian calendar places New Year's Eve, the year's final day, on December, 31. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with evening parties where people dance, eat, drink, and watch or light fireworks. Civilizations all over the world have celebrated the start of each New Year for at least four millennia. Today, most New Year's Eve celebrations begin on December 31 (New Year's Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue until the early hours of January 1 (New Year's Day). Attending New Year's Eve parties, eating special New Year's foods, making New Year's resolutions, and watching fireworks displays are all common customs. January 1 is designated as New Year's Day. According to tradition, the early Roman calendar consisted of 10 months or 304 days, with each New Year beginning at the vernal equinox. It was created by Romulus, the founder of Rome, in the eighth century B.C. Numa Pompilius, a later king, is credited with adding the months of January and February. The calendar became out of sync with the sun over the centuries, and in 46 B.C., Emperor Julius Caesar decided to solve the problem by consulting with the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians of the time. He established the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the more modern Gregorian calendar, which is used by the majority of countries around the world today. Caesar instituted January 1 as the first day of the year as part of his reform, partly to honor the month's namesake Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back in time and forward in time. Romans celebrated by making sacrifices to Janus, exchanging gifts, decorating their homes with laurel branches, and throwing wild parties. In mediaeval Europe, Christian leaders temporarily replaced January 1 as the first day of the year with days of greater religious significance, such as December 25 the anniversary of Jesus' birth) and March 25 (the anniversary of the Crucifixion) the Feast of the Annunciation) In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII reinstituted January 1 as New Year's Day.
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software