Modern new year celebrations (As given on a web site)
The most common modern celebrations are:
- January 1 : the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar used by most developed countries. (For more information, see New Year's Day)
- Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew for 'head of the year') is a celebration that occurs 163 days following Pesach (Passover) (See Hebrew Calendar). In the Gregorian calendar at present, Rosh Hashanah cannot occur before September 5, when it occurred in 1899 and will occur again in 2013. After the year 2089, the differences between the Hebrew Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar will force Rosh Hashanah to be not earlier than September 6. Rosh Hashanah cannot occur later than October 5, when it occurred in 1967 and will again occur in 2043.
- The Chinese New Year occurs every year at a new moon during the winter. The exact date can fall anytime between January 21 and February 21, inclusive, on the Gregorian Calendar. Because the Chinese calander is astronimically defined, unlike the Gregorian Calendar, the drift of the seasons will change the range. Each year is symbolized by one of twelve animals and one of five elements, with the combinations of animals and elements (or stems) cycling every sixty years. It is perhaps the most important Chinese holiday. The Chinese New Year is generally celebrated with fire-crackers, and in some places with a parade.
- In the Bahá'í calendar, the new year occurs on the vernal equinox on March 21, and is called Naw-Rúz.
- The Telugu New Year generally falls in the months of March or April. The people of Andhra Pradesh, India celebrate the advent of Lunar year this day.
- The Thai New Year is celebrated from April 13 to April 15 by throwing water.
- The Vietnamese New Year is the Têt Nguyen Dan. It is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year.
- Some neo-pagans celebrate Samhain as a new year's day representing the new cycle of the Wheel of the Year, although they do not use a different calendar that starts on this day.
- The Hindu New Year begins after 15 days from Holi .
- The Sunni Muslim New Year is celebrated on 1 Muharram. Since the Muslim calendar is based on 12 lunar months amounting to about 354 days, the Gregorian date of this is earlier each year. 2008 will see two Muslim New Years.
