New Year Celebration: When, How & Why?

With the approach of 1^st of January, rich and poor, young and old and men and women all get ready with joy and jubilation to welcome the New Year. To convey New Year wishes banners and posters are put up at various places. Decorations of sorts like colour motifs on the floor, colourful lights and floral garlands etc. adorn streets and houses. By keeping awake, both young and old savour the last moments of the passing year and welcome the New Year by fireworks, band, orchestra, music, dancing and by rejoicing in gay abandon. 

Now a question that is to be posed to all patriotic righteous minded people of the country is, “is January 1 the beginning of a New Year? Does the New Year actually start on this day?” Please think seriously and ask your conscience in right earnestness. It is well known that the present calendar in vogue is related to Jesus. So, were there no character, tradition and culture in the Indian subcontinent before Jesus? Yes, definitely there was and so, the people of Indian subcontinent would have been celebrating New Year.  When would have that been? One has to think about this, do a soul search on this. Here, we are only giving a bird’s eye view taking into account some relevant facts. Readers need to think or introspect and decide for themselves and present the truth in front of all.

The olympian year was in vogue in Europe in ancient times. Some 753 years before Jesus during the reign of the first Roman King Romulus, this was changed to a Roman calendar consisting of only 10 months and 304 days. The names of the months were derived from the names of Roman Gods and kings. Like for example, March was based on Mars, the war god. The names May and June were based on Maia and Jaun, the two daughters of Atlas. Again, July and August were derived from Julius Caesar and his adopted son (great-nephew) Augustus Caesar. The Romans gave the Latin name Aprilis to the second month but the derivation of this name is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the verb aperire, “to open”, in allusion to this being the season when trees and flowers begin to ‘open’. Since some of the Roman months were named in honour of divinities, and as April was sacred to the goddess Venus, her Veneralia being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her equivalent Greek Goddess named Aphrodite (Aphros), or from the Etruscan name Apru. Jacob Grimm suggests the name of a hypothetical God or hero Aper or Aprus. This way, starting from the first month of March names of 6 months till August were derived.

The names of the order of months after this became popular based on indicative words. The seventh month got its name from ‘saptam’ as September, the eighth month got its name as October from ‘ashtam’ or octem, the ninth month November came from ‘navam’ (novem) and the tenth month as December from ‘dasham’ (Decem). It is worth noting here that September etc are distorted mispronunciation of Sanskrit words like saptam (Septem), ashtam (octem), navam (novem) and dahsam (Decem). Accordingly, September comes from the Sanskrit word ‘saptam ambar’ meaning ninth sky and December comes from the Sanskrit word ‘dasham ambar’ meaning 10^th sky. Saptambar, dashambar etc are indicative of the special state of celestial bodies and stars in the sky. This calendar of 10 months starting from March remained in vogue for 53 years.  Roundabout 700 BC, Numa Pompilius, the second King of the Roman Empire after Romulus added the month January deriving it from the Roman God Janus. February was probably derived from the old Italian God Februus or from the word Februa signifying the festivals of purification (atonement) celebrated in Rome at this time. The fifth Roman Emperor Lucius (Etruscan) Tarquinius Priscus gave the stamp of approval for the Roman Republican Calendar with January as the first month. Had the two months been added after the 10^th month of December it would have been an act of sensibility or sagaciousness. But by adding them in the beginning, the seventh-month saptam (Septem) September became the 9^th month, the eighth-month ashtam (octem) October became the 10^th month, the ninth month navam (Novem) November became the 11^th month and the 10^th-month dasham (Decem) December became the 12^th month respectively. Because of this, the real meaning of saptam, ashtam, navam and dasham became completely meaningless. March was the first month of the Roman calendar and was derived from the Roman God of war, agriculture and fertility – Mars. March (Martius) actually symbolizes the change of season from old to new. It heralds the new growth of spring marked by the burgeoning birth of new life. And so, the meaning of March embodies a kind of re-igniting of the hearts and consciousness of humankind. This month we come to feel the initial kicks of spring from the deepest womb of the Mother (Earth). So, this meaning of March also became irrelevant by adding January and February before it.

This is an excellent example of ignorance and illogicality. It is also to be pondered as to why there are only 28 or 29 days in February. If there is any shortfall or deficiency in the calculation of days, necessary adjustment is to be done at the end. Had February been at the end, it would have been understandable that necessary adjustment has been made at the end with 28 or 29 days. This would have also justified the meaning of February as adjustment or atonement. By introducing adjustment in the middle or in the second month as in the present case what type of logic or intelligence is displayed? From this, it is very clear that January and February should have been added at the end and not before March.

According to the ancient Indian tradition, the New Year starts on the first day of full moon fortnight of the month of Chaitra. This usually falls between either the end of March or the beginning of April. This shows that there was quite a bit of similarity between ancient Indian and Roman traditions as both had 25^th March as the beginning of the New Year. Starting the New Year from 25^th March is essentially an imitation of Indian traditions. Adding January and February before March by the Roman Emperor was only a mere act to subvert the prevalent Vedic tradition. There can be no other reason other than this for incorporating the illogical bungling. By this, the Roman year of 304 days got changed to (304 + 31 + 28) 363 days. In this system some months had 30 days, some had 31 days and February had either 28 or 29 days. The months linked with the names of Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar (July & August) were assigned 31 days. It becomes clear from these that the first day of New Year, the division of months, their duration, names and order of months, all created in self-interest or other ulterior motives, were then imposed on the world.

The names and duration of the 12 months of the Roman calendar are as follows:
Januarius (31), Februariius (28, 29), Martius (31), Aprilis (30), Maius (31), Junius (30), Quinctilis (31), Sextilis (30), September (30), October (31), November (30), December (31).

In honour of Julius Caesar, the month of Quinctilis was renamed as Julius (July) some 44 years before Jesus. And again about 8 years before Jesus, Emperor Augustus Caesar himself renamed the month Sextilis on his name as Augustus. Originally the month of Sextilis had only 30 days but with it being renamed on him as Augustus, the number of days was also changed to 31 in order to equate himself with Julius Caesar.  So to adjust this extra day, the number of days in February was changed from 29 to 28. By rectifying some of the shortcomings of this a new calendar was published by Pope Gregory. This calendar known as the Gregorian Calendar was adopted by a few principal nations from 1582 onwards. When and which countries adopted this Gregorian Calendar is as shown below:-

1582 – France, Italy, Portugal, Luxemburg, Spain; 1583-1812 – Switzerland; 1584 – Germany (Roman Catholic), Belgium and some parts of Netherlands; 1587 – Hungary;  1690-1700 – Denmark, Holland, Germany (Protestant); 1776 – the whole of Germany; 1752 – Britain, America; 1753 – Sweden; 1873-1874 – Japan Israel; 1912-1917 – Albania, Bulgaria, China, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia; 1918-1923 – Soviet union, Greece.

Even based on Geographical and astronomical sciences, natural events or based on the positions of sun, moon, planets and stars, the Gregorian Calendar seems to have no relation whatsoever. So, by adding January and February before March people had not accepted 1^st January as the New Year day. People had, in fact, continued to celebrate 25^th March as the New Year. And January 1^st came into reckoning as the New Year day only after 1582 and not before that. 

The custom of celebrating 1^st January as the New Year day was imposed in India by the British in 1752. In spite and despite the many conspiracies to subvert and undermine Indian culture, the Financial year and Academic year could not be changed and still start on the 1^st of April. Both these are in accord with the Indian tradition of New Year and have also scientific and intellectual merit. But 1^st of April was propagated as fool’s day. The reason for this is that the 10^th King of France, Charles declared January 1 as the New Year day but the people did not accept the same and continued to celebrate 1^st April as the New Year day. Infuriated King Charles then declared all those who went against his royal dictum as fools. Slowly the people of France had to accept January 1 as the New Year. Seeing his ploy to be successful he then declared 1^st April as fool’s day so that no one may dare to celebrate it as New Year day again. Totally ignorant of the true fact we, Indians, also follow it like animals following one another and as though blind from birth. Even without any royal or governmental decree, we with all pride and happiness keep making others April fool on this day. Nowhere else can we see such an example in the world. Every individual or community considers itself as intelligent, wise and great but never as unintelligent or low. To recognize and praise each other mutually is the sign of a healthy society. But to call or make others fools is not the way of righteous or intelligent people. In fact, we must abandon this unwise act and exhibit our intelligence and wisdom by celebrating 1^st January as foolish day.  

At midnight of January 1, winter is at its peak. Everywhere its fury is visible.  Plants, trees, vegetation, creepers and crawlers all appear withered and drooping. Nowhere can the bloom of flowers be seen. Birds and animals feel the winter cold as death-like. Is it really appropriate to celebrate New Year at this forlorn uncomfortable time? Readers themselves may delve on this.

The day begins not at midnight but 3 hours before (3 a.m) sunrise. It is at this time that birds and animals come awake and by their beautiful calls and sounds make all parts melodious. It is indeed an indescribably pleasing. The same time is said as ‘Brahma muhurta’ (auspicious divine time). Even farmers get up at this time and prepare themselves for their agricultural activity. The whole world seems to manifest activity and alertness at this time. Leaves and flowers seem to show the first signs of the freshness of bloom from the overnight state of droopiness. Even in the bodies of animals, special energy seems to flow at this time. Within the human body too, active blood flow and increased heartbeat etc. start happening at this time. This is the reason that persons with cardiac problems usually suffer from a heart attack at this time.

It is a common saying as well as the teachings of Ayurveda etc that this auspicious divine time is the correct time for people to get up because those who sleep at this time have reduced longevity, vitality and intellect and also becomes prey to laziness. Hence, this insentient world, sentient plants and animals and even the experiences of humans and scriptures seem to suggest that the day starts only with the auspicious divine time of 3 a.m. So, is it not symbolic of ignorance when we celebrate the beginning of the day or New Year at midnight as against the above-cited facts? It is not befitting of highly endowed Indian people to blindly follow the western traditions and to behave like ignorant animals devoid of intellect.

Our culture is to feel and enjoy blissfully the pleasing brightness emanating from the lit fire and lamps. But the culture of loving darkness by extinguishing lights is of the west. All animals and even humans are in a state of deep slumber at the eerie darkness of midnight. Nowhere can we see activity or alertness. And so, to consider it as the beginning of the day or to celebrate it as the dawn of New Year is sheer ignorance and illogicality and also much against science. According to astrological science, the period between one sunrise (Brahma muhurta) to the next sunrise is considered a full day. Beginning of a day from midnight is not found mentioned in any scriptures.

And so, gentlemen and ladies of righteousness, please awake, become alert, and introspect properly.