New Year

[tartanwiz]

Why celebrate New Year in the middle of winter?  Surely the beginning of spring would be more logical?  I know it was Roman emperors who messed about with the date and Julius Ceasar who finally formally made it 1 January, but WHY?  Happy New Year, by the way.

[Thunderchild]

ur question is partly answered in the thread lower down about december where many have answered perhaps ir you asked there they might find the answer:

 

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/History-and-Myths/Questio n86454.html

[Hgrove]

But surely if we changed the date, people down under would end up having new year in winter? I suppose it's had luck for us here...

[Octavius]

The earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from 2000 BC in Mesopotamia. In Babylonia the New Year began with the new moon closest to the spring equinox, usually mid-March. In Assyria it was near the autumnal equinox in September. For the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians the day was celebrated on the autumnal equinox, which now falls on about 23 September. For the Greeks it was the winter solstice, which now falls on about 21 or 22 December . During the early Roman republic 1 March began a new year, but after 153 BC the date was changed to 1 January. This date was kept by the Julian calendar of 46 BC.

In most parts of Europe in the Middle Ages 25 March (the feast of the Annunciation) was celebrated as New Year's Day until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. At one time England started the year on 25 December. 

The Roman Catholic church decided to to adopt 1 January as the start of the year when they changed to the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Most Roman Catholic countries changed to 1 Jan at that time. Over the next 350 years other countries followed. Scotland changed in 1600, although they still used the Julian calendar. Germany, Denmark and Sweden switched about 1700; then Britain and its colonies in 1752. In 1918 Russia was the last major nation to adopt 1 January when they switched from 1 September. In countries that use the Julian calendar, New Year's Day is on 14 January of the Gregorian calendar.

 

It is likely that Jan 1st was adopted as the first day of the year by the romans since January is named after Janus, the god of beginnings, and derived from ianua.  Thus, the beginning if a new tropical cycle.