.

dont8:

Just wondering because[b] muslims[/b] just did their own new year last month and there was no celebration.

then?

dont8:


Just wondering because muslims just did their own new year last month and there was no celebration.

@dont8

Very good observation dont8 

The muslims had celebrations in their individually homes and in the predominantly Islamic states and nations 

Meanwhile this is a prologue (i.e. initial remarks) before responding further to your post

The whole year or calendar affair is mashed up and messed about . . .

The calendar tinkering and inconsistencies, just gives credence to Matthew 24:36 and makes it more plausible credible and believable

[center]However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows - Matthew 24:36 NLT[/center]

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Sure, it will be nice to know what the big deal is about the New Year and New Year celebrations

Without a doubt, New Year celebration is probably one of the world's most popular observed event

So what is that important about New Year celebrations?

How did New Year celebrations begin or from where did it originate?

What follows will be a summarised and handy information on New Year,  the origin of its celebrations etc

Genesis 1:14-19 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁴And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs and tokens [of God's provident care], and [to mark ] seasons, days, and years,

¹⁵And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so.

¹⁶And God made the two great lights--the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. He also made the stars.

¹⁷And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,

¹⁸To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it.

¹⁹And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

Genesis 1:14 informs us that the sun and moon are created and are there as signs to mark days and years

Incidentally this is exactly what we have

In many ways, the sun, the moon or the sun and the moon together have been used for marking time (i.e. the advent or introduction of calendars)

New Year is a product of calendar (i.e. year book for assigning dates)

There are many types of calendars (e.g. Chinese calendar etc) but three are mainly used.

The three main calendars namely are the Western calendar, the Islamic calendar and the Jewish calendar. They evolved based on different ways of marking time.

The three calendars differ in various aspects and do not necessarily go with each other because:

#1) They are categorised and based according to core events

The Western calendar (i.e. called the Christian calendar or also the Gregorian calendar)

- is a solar calendar (i.e. perceived seasonal changes synchronized to the motion of the Sun) and also based on Christ’s birth

- a Christian year comprises of 12 months and 365 days, 366 in a leap year, which occurs by adding a day in February every four years.

-      Western calendar's (i.e. Christian calendar) months are typically named after pagan Roman gods, emperors, numbers etc

- January is a translation of Latin Januarius, named after JANUS, the Roman god of beginnings and endings. December (i.e. dec = 10) is the twelfth month.

The Islamic calendar (i.e. the Hijri calendar)

- is a lunar calendar (i.e. is synchronized to the motion of the Moon) and also based on the emigration of the Prophet Muhammad and his fellow Muslims, the Companions or Sahabah, from Mecca to Medina.

- The calendar based on the lunar year, has about 354 days and 12 months, each with either 29 or 30 days

- The names of the months are Muharram, Safar, Rabiul-Awwal, Rabi-uthani, Jumada al-awwal, Jumada al-thani, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhil-Q’ada, and Dhil-Hijja.

The Jewish calendar (i.e. the Hebrew calendar)

- is a lunisolar calendar (i.e. is synchronized to the motions of both the Moon and the Sun) and also is based on creation which is said to have occurred — around 3760 BCE according to the Western Calendar

- a Jewish year has anywhere from 353 to 385 days, and 12 months, 13 in a leap year. Months have 29 or 30 days:

- Jewish calendar's months are named after numbers (e.g. Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishri, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, and Adar)

#2) They differ in when the new day begins.

In Western calendars (i.e. Christian calendars) the day begins at midnight.

however with the Islamic and Jewish calendars, however the day begins at sundown (i.e. the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon)

Also whilst the Western and Islamic calendars have a New Year beginning with the first month,

the New Year according to the Jewish calendar begins in the seventh (i.e. nissan) and not the first  month of the year

Origin Of New Year:

Origin of New Year dates back to the era of emperors.

They thought of celebrating a special day which should dot a day for beginning and end of the year. First New Year celebrations were noticed in Mesopotamia around 2000 years.

It was celebrated at the time of Equinox in mid-March by the Egyptians, Persians and Phoenicians while Greeks celebrated it on winter solstice.

Ancient New Year Calendar:

First New Year celebrations were noticed in Mesopotamia around 2000 years.

It was celebrated at the time of Equinox in mid-March by the Egyptians, Persians and Phoenicians while Greeks celebrated it on winter solstice.

As per the ancient Roman calendar New Year fell on March 1.

This calendar just had ten months and March was the first month of the year.

The calendar originated by the cycles of the moon, beginning in spring and ending with autumn planting.

Inclusion of Two Calendar Months:

It was Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome who divided the year into twelve lunar months by adding the months of January and February.

The New Year was shifted to January as it marked the beginning of the civil years in Rome.

But this was not fully accepted by the people of Rome and they continued celebrating in the month of March only.

January 1- an Official Date of New Year Celebrations:

The Roman emperor Julius Caesar officially declared January 1 to be a New Year in 46 B.C.

Romans worshiped God Janus who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward.

The month of January was named after this Roman God and it gave an idea to the emperor to establish January as a gate to the New Year.

It is said Caesar celebrated January 1 - New Year by ordering the revolutionary Jewish forces to route back.

People began New Year celebrations on January 1 after many years.

They ritualized the beginning of the year by acting and re-enacting the world of the past before peace proliferated.

People learned January as first month of the year and with this the tradition of following Julian calendar.

Abolition of Roman New Year Date:

In the medieval period, pagan festivals were given more importance and March 25 was announced as the beginning of the New Year.

March 25 was called the Annunciation Day as on this day Mary got the news that she should be impregnated.

Later, the King of England ensured that Jesus' birth December 25 should be commemorated as New Year.

Gregorian Calendar:

About 500 years later, Pope Gregory XIII abolished the old Julian calendar

and introduced Gregorian calendar which comprised of a leap year after every four years to maintain balance between seasons and calendar.

Finally, in 1582, Gregorian calendar was set to celebrate New Year on the first day of January.

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From ancient times, people have welcomed the new year with rituals to attract good fortune.

Here are some samplings:

In Rio de Janeiro, more than a million people gather on the beaches on December 31st to honor Yemanja, the Yoruban "Mother of the Sea," who brings good fortune.

A Time of Rebirth:

Because the Winter Solstice is the turning point of the year, beginning the lengthening of days,

it has long been viewed as the birth of the year--by pagans celebrating the return of the Sun, and by Christians welcoming the birth of the Son of God.

The days between Solstice and the New Year are a magical, luminous time period, when anything is possible.

In England, the Twelve Days of Christmas were considered omen days which could be used to predict the weather in the coming year.

In Scotland, no court had power during these days;

and in Ireland, tradition held that if a person died during the Twelve Days, he or she went straight to Heaven.

Starting Fresh:

While each culture's New Year celebration has its own flavor, there are certain common themes.

The period leading up to New Year's Day is a time for setting things straight:

a thorough housecleaning, paying off debts, reflecting on one's shortcomings, returning borrowed objects, mending quarrels, giving alms.

In many cultures, people jump into the sea or a local body of water - literally washing the slate clean.

^{References:
[size=5pt]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-the-western-islamic-and-jewish-calendars.htm
http://www.newyearfestival.com/origin-of-new-year.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/Holistic-Living/2006/01/The-Meaning-Of-New-Years-Traditions.aspx?p=1[/size]}

@e36991, your write up is quiet expressive on could use this for research purpose. But the way I see it is that all celebrations are only just passage of rites. The spinning of the Earth doesn't know its new year or xmas. We do all this things to live our lives.

chinkelly:


- contents here were snipped -

But the way I see it is that all celebrations are only just passage of rites.

The spinning of the Earth doesn't know its new year or xmas.

We do all this things to live our lives.

@chinkelly

I cant agree more . . .

which is why I lumbered in the below remark with Matthew 24:36:


and referenced further with:

Genesis 1:14-19 (Amplified Bible)

¹⁴And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs and tokens [of God's provident care], and [to mark ] seasons, days, and years,

¹⁵And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so.

¹⁶And God made the two great lights--the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. He also made the stars.

¹⁷And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,

¹⁸To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it.

¹⁹And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

Genesis 1:14 informs us that the sun and moon are created and are there as signs to mark days and years

Incidentally this is exactly what we have

In many ways, the sun, the moon or the sun and the moon together albeit dissimilar have been used for marking time (i.e. the advent or introduction of calendars)

My point is we might know the signs of the times and the times of the signs but the exact hour or exact day is elusive

It's hard to get hold of . . .

Impossible like try using a ladder to climb a maggi cube or try jumping off a maggi cube with a parachute - Joke courtesy JahBless feat Ruggedman 

The Feasts, with dates given to us as xtians to observe as a statue for ever has been replaced with worldly celebrations e.g xmas, easter, new year, lent and so on.

We are to keep the Feasts:
1Cor.5:8
Lev. 23:1-44
Acts 18:21; 20:6,16
John 7:2,14,37
Deut. 16: 1-17
Lam. 1:4; 2:6
Punishment for not keeping the feasts is found in Zech. 14:16-21

the names of the months in the bible has been replaced with the names of idols/gods which we are commanded never to mention, Exod. 23:13, Joshua 23:7.

The names of month in the bible are as follow:
1. Nisan/Abib- Exod 34:18, Nehe. 3:7

2. Zif - 1kgs. 6:1,37
3. Sivan - Est. 8:9
4. Comfort - by Holy Spirit.
5. Mercy - by Holy Spirit.
6. Elul - Nehe. 6:15:
7. Ethanim - 1kgs. 8:2
8. Bul - 1kgs. 6:38
9. Chisleu - Zech. 7:1
10: Tebeth - Est. 2:16
11. Sebat - Zech. 1:7
12. Adar - Ezra 6:15.

We are ignorantly commiting a lot of sins, which we are paying for.
Jer. 50:6-7; Isai. 43:27-28:
Even the days of the week are named after gods.
The new age world order has real converted us without our awareness. EYE WIDE SHUT.