The origin of New Year's Day and the composition of traditional customs

New Year's Day is a traditional New Year for people all over the world. Most countries in the world take 65438+ 10 1 as New Year's Day, because most of them adopt the international Gregorian calendar. However, some countries and nationalities have different New Year's Day dates because of their local calendar traditions, religious beliefs, customs and seasonal climate, which also makes the world more colorful and ethnic.

The ancestor of the lunar calendar, the Egyptian calendar, took the day when Sirius and the sun rose together as New Year's Day. Around 50,000 BC, the ancient Egyptians had changed from nomadism to farming and settled on both sides of the Nile. From long-term observation, they found that the time of Nile flooding was regular, so they recorded this time on bamboo poles every time and learned that there were about 365 days between the two floods. At the same time, it was found that when the Nile came near Cairo at high tide today, the sun and Sirius rose from the horizon at the same time. Therefore, the ancient Egyptians set this day as the beginning of the year. This is the earliest origin of New Year's Day.

Afghanistan regards spring as New Year's Day; Jews regard autumn as New Year's Day; However, the New Year's Day of Eskimos in cold regions is not fixed. They regard the first rain as the New Year. In 46 BC, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar formulated the julian calendar. At first, he regarded the solstice of winter as New Year's Day. However, people insist on taking Shuori as New Year's Day, so they extend New Year's Day to 10 days from winter to the future.

Because the longitude position of different countries in the world is different and the time of different countries is different, the date of "New Year's Day" is also different. For example, Tonga, an island country in Oceania, is located on the west side of the Japanese boundary. It is the first place in the world to start a day and the first country to celebrate New Year's Day. Western Samoa, to the east of international date line, is the latest place in the world to start a new day. According to the Gregorian calendar, China is the first 12 country in the world to start the New Year.

The Origin of New Year's Day in China

In Chinese, "Yuan" means the first or beginning, and "Dan" means a day or morning. During the cultural relics excavation in Dawenkou, China found a picture of the sun rising from the top of the mountain with clouds in the middle. According to textual research, this is the oldest writing method of the word "Dan" in China. Later, the simplified word "Dan" appeared on the bronze inscriptions in the Yin and Shang Dynasties. The word "Dan" is represented by a round sun. The word "one" under "Sun" indicates the horizon, which means that the sun rises from the horizon in Ran Ran. Xiao Ziyun, a literary historian in the Southern Dynasties, recorded in his "Jieya" that "Four Spirits celebrate New Year's Day and live a long life today". It seems that Dan at that time was the beginning of a day and lasted until the first day of the year. "Yuan" and "Dan" are in harmony, that is, people should greet the brand-new year with a vibrant attitude. But this is not fixed from the beginning.

Legend has it that Zhuan Xu, one of the three emperors and five emperors, designated the first month of the lunar calendar as "Yuan" and the first month as "Dan". Later, some dynasties changed the month, but in principle, the first day of each month is still regarded as New Year's Day. For example, the Xia Dynasty regarded the first day of the first month as New Year's Day, the Shang Dynasty was 65438+ February, and the Zhou Dynasty was 165438+ October. After Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, the first day of the first month in 10 was regarded as New Year's Day, and it followed from generation to generation. It was not until the first year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that Sima Qian founded the "taichu calendar", which took the first day of the first month as New Year's Day and remained in use until the Revolution of 1911.

19 1 1 After the success of the Revolution of 1911, it was decided to adopt the international Gregorian calendar, so the New Year's Day of the lunar calendar was changed to "Spring Festival" and 1 day of the Gregorian calendar was called New Year's Day. 1On September 27th, 949, the first plenary session of the China People's Political Consultative Conference decided that "the people of China and the national calendar should adopt the AD calendar method", which is what we call the solar calendar. In order to distinguish the two New Years, the first day of the first lunar month was renamed as "Spring Festival" and the first day of the first lunar month was designated as "New Year's Day". Since then, New Year's Day has become a happy festival for people all over the country. On this day, cities and rural areas in China are decorated with lanterns and festive costumes, and many units hang up huge slogans of "Celebrating New Year's Day" to celebrate the New Year.

New year's customs in various countries

The custom of celebrating the New Year is different in different countries in the world, and it may be different in different periods. However, from a big perspective, the spirit of welcoming the new is the same. Everything that is not needed, that wants to be abandoned and that wants to get rid of is called old. What we yearn for, hope for and look forward to is called new. At the beginning of the new year, everyone wants to have a good start. People from all over the world will welcome the New Year in their unique ways.

◆ ◇ Asia

India: New Year's Day in India is called "Crying New Year's Day" and "Fasting New Year's Day". On the first day of the new year, no one is allowed to be angry with others, let alone lose his temper. In some places, instead of celebrating China New Year, they hugged each other and cried. They think that at the beginning of New Year's Day, time flies and life is short, and they cry to express their sighs. In some areas, people welcome the New Year by fasting for one day and one night, from the early morning of New Year's Day to midnight.

◆ Iran: Iran implements the Islamic calendar, and the season and month are not fixed, often in late March of the Gregorian calendar, and the New Year is celebrated for one week. People poured into the streets to light a "bonfire"-"night fire", and then the whole family jumped down from the night fire in turn, indicating that they would burn "bad luck" to drive away evil spirits and diseases, and happiness would last forever. From grade one to grade three, people visit relatives and friends and wish each other a happy Spring Festival. On the last day of the new year, the whole family went out for an outing to ward off evil spirits.

Thailand: Thailand's traditional New Year, namely "Songkran Festival", is also called "Songkran Festival". During the festival, people throw water at each other and wish their elders a long and healthy life with a happy face, and wish their relatives and friends good luck in the New Year. Unmarried young men and women show their love for each other by splashing water. On the first day of the new year, Thais put a basin of clear water on the windowsill and doorway to pray for a happy New Year and good weather.

Japan: On the morning of New Year's Day, Japanese people take to the streets to meet the rising sun, and then go to the shrine to pay homage or say hello to relatives and friends. They call New Year's Day a "suitable day". On this day, their breakfast is very rich, including sugar, buckwheat noodles and Tu Su wine. After that, I went vegetarian for three days in a row to show my piety and pray for good luck in the coming year.

North Korea: North Korea, like China, has the custom of stick grilles and Fu Tao in the New Year to pray for God's blessing, drive away ghosts and give happiness. At the dawn of New Year's Day, people put some money into the pre-tied scarecrow and throw it at the crossroads to ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck. At dusk, people burn the hair that the whole family has lost for a year and wish their families peace in the four seasons. During the New Year, Koreans must cook a sweet meal in addition to enjoying wine and delicacies to show that family members are prosperous and life is like honey.

◆◇ Europe

Britain: On the day before New Year's Day, every household should have wine in the bottle and meat in the cupboard. The British believe that if there is no wine and meat left over, they will be poor in the coming year. In addition, the custom of "digging wells" is also popular in Britain in the New Year. People strive to be the first person to draw water, thinking that the first person to draw water is a happy person, and the water obtained from it is auspicious.

Scotland: On New Year's Eve, Scots will leave some money in front of every house, and no one will guard it. That night, thieves and beggars saw it and didn't move. Because of the local custom, on New Year's Eve, put money outside the door first and open the door early in the morning, which means "get rich at first sight".

Spanish: On New Year's Eve in China, all family members get together to celebrate with music and games. During the Spring Festival, children are most afraid of swearing, fighting and crying, and think these phenomena are ominous. Therefore, on New Year's Day, adults always try their best to meet all the requirements of children. At the same time, people will carry a gold coin or a copper coin to show good luck.

Belgium: In Belgium, on the morning of New Year's Day, the first thing in the countryside is to pay New Year greetings to livestock. People go to cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, cats and other animals and tell these creatures very seriously: "Happy New Year!" "

◆ Germany: During the New Year's Day, Germans will put a fir tree and a horizontal tree in every household, and the leaves are covered with silk flower, indicating that a hundred flowers are blooming and the spring is full. At midnight on New Year's Eve, just before the arrival of the New Year, they climbed into the chair. As soon as the bell rang, they jumped up from their chairs and threw a heavy object behind the back of the chair to show that they had abandoned the disaster and entered the new year. In rural Germany, there is also the custom of celebrating the New Year-"Tree Climbing Competition" to show the promotion step by step.

Italy: New Year's Eve in Italy is a carnival night. When night began to fall, thousands of people flocked to the streets, lit firecrackers and fireworks, and even fired live ammunition. Men and women danced until midnight. Every household collects old things, breaks some fragile things at home and throws old pots, bottles and cans out of the door, which means getting rid of bad luck and troubles. This is their traditional way of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new.

◆ France: Celebrate the New Year with wine. People start drinking binge on New Year's Eve until 65438+10.3. The French believe that the weather on New Year's Day indicates a new year. On the morning of New Year's Day, they went to the streets to see the wind direction for divination: the south wind blows, which indicates that the weather will be good and the year will be safe and hot; When the west wind blows, there is a bumper harvest year for fishing and milking; If the east wind blows, the fruit will be rich; When the north wind blows, it is a poor harvest year.

◆ Switzerland: Swiss people have the habit of keeping fit on New Year's Day. Some of them go climbing in groups, standing on the top of the mountain in the face of ice and snow, singing loudly about a better life; Some ski along the long snowy road in the mountains, as if looking for the road to happiness; Some hold stilt competitions, in which men, women and children go into battle together, wishing each other good health and welcoming the New Year with fitness.

Greece: On New Year's Day, every family will make a big cake and put a silver coin in it. The host cut the cake into several pieces and distributed it to family members or visiting relatives and friends. Whoever eats the cake with silver coins will become the luckiest person in the new year, and everyone congratulates him.

Romania: On New Year's Eve, people will put up a tall Christmas tree and set up a stage in the square. The citizens sang and danced while setting off fireworks. Rural people celebrate the New Year with wooden plows decorated with colorful flowers.

◆ USA

Brazil: Brazilians hold torches high on New Year's Day and go climbing in groups. People are scrambling to find the golden birch tree that symbolizes happiness. Only those who are fearless can find this rare fruit. They call it "seeking happiness". There is a unique custom in rural Brazil-pulling each other's ears. When people meet in the New Year, they must grab each other's ears to express their blessings.

◆ Argentina: Argentines believe that water is the most sacred. Every New Year's Day, every family, old and young, flock to the river for a "New Year bath" to wash away all the filth on their bodies.

● New Year's diet anecdote

Because of different nationalities, cultures, beliefs and living habits, many countries in the world have different eating customs to celebrate the New Year, and each country has its own characteristics and styles.

◆ Paraguay:

Paraguay in South America has designated the last five days of each year as the "Cold Food Festival". You can only eat cold food until the bell rings on New Year's Eve, and then you can make a fire and cook delicious food to celebrate the New Year.

◆ ◇ France:

There is a superstition in France that if there is wine left at home on New Year's Eve, it will be unlucky in the coming year. Therefore, they would rather get drunk than drink all the wine at home.

◆ ◇ Poland:

Girls should wear special rabbit-shaped clothes and eat green vegetables during Chinese New Year. It is said that eating green vegetables will make everything smooth.

◆ ◇ Peru:

On New Year's Eve, Peruvians gathered together to wait for the church bell to strike at zero, so they scrambled for grapes and tried to eat them one by one according to the rhythm of the bell, but only twelve were found. The first is peace, the second is harmony, followed by happiness, wealth, harmony, refuge, illness, prosperous business, smooth work, all the best, and happy love.

◆ ◇ Iran:

Iranians especially like to eat "seven dishes" on New Year's Eve. The name of each dish must begin with the letter S, which symbolizes that the family has good luck all the year round.

◆ Hungary:

Hungarians don't eat poultry in the New Year. They think chickens, ducks, geese and other birds have wings. If they eat it, happiness will fly away.

◆ Austria:

It is absolutely forbidden for Austrians to have a reunion dinner together during the New Year. They think that crabs are rampant, and whoever eats them will bring misfortune to work and family.

◆ ◇ Madagascar:

Malagasy people should avoid eating pork, mutton, beef and horse meat in the New Year's week.

◆ ◇ Vietnam:

On New Year's Eve, some ethnic minorities in the north of China will burn incense, kowtow and cook rice in a bucket where they usually fetch water. After cooking, we worship our ancestors first, and then the whole family will have a New Year's Eve dinner. When eating this meal, soup is absolutely forbidden. They think that if they drink soup, the crops they grow will be flooded.

◆ Bulgaria:

You must sneeze at the New Year's Eve, which will bring unexpected benefits. According to local customs, the first person who sneezes will bring happiness to the whole family for a year. So the master went to his farm and brought the first sheep, calf or pony he saw first, and gave it to the first guest who sneezed. What a big sneeze!