New Year's Day

New Year's Day, first day of the year, January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. In the Middle Ages, most European countries used the Julian calendar and observed New Year’s Day on March 25, called Annunciation Day and celebrated as the occasion on which it was revealed to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, Roman Catholic countries began to celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1. Scotland accepted the Gregorian calendar in 1600; Germany, Denmark, and Sweden about 1700; and England in 1752. Traditionally, the day has been observed as a religious feast, but in modern times the arrival of the New Year has also become an occasion for spirited celebration and the making of personal resolutions. The Jewish new year is called Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets, and is prescribed by the Old Testament as a holy sabbath. It is celebrated on the first and second days of Tishri (generally in September). The Chinese celebrate New Year’s Day sometime between January 10 and February 19 of the Gregorian calendar. It is their most important holiday.