The joy of the New Year is indescribable and infects everyone, even if the celebration of its arrival does not take place, as in our case, in late December and early January.

When we enter the week of the final stretch so that many say goodbye to 2023, we will tell you how they welcome the new year to others cultures.

Five New Year celebrations in the world

1. Chinese New Year

Asians will celebrate the start of a new year in about a month and a half.

The Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, according to National Geographic, is “linked to the lunar calendar, so the exact date varies from year to year in Western calendars.”

In 2024, Chinese New Year will take place on February 10.

Rituals in preparation for that beginning include “cleaning houses to eliminate bad luck, wearing red, and lighting fireworks.”

So “according to the Encyclopedia Britannica” there will be no room for evil spirits.

Remember AS USA that “the New Year is represented by 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog or pig.” 2024 will be the year of the dragon.

Chinese New Year 2024: What It Brings for Each Sign

2. Hindu culture celebrates Diwali

In Hindu culture, they look forward to Diwali or the Festival of Lights.

In its recognition, the UN itself says that “Diwali represents the victory of good over evil and of light over darkness,” notes National Geographic.

The date to celebrate Diwali also varies. This striking festival “lasts five days and is all about new beginnings.”

According to National Geographic, “the commemoration date changes from year to year, even though it takes place between October and November.”

It is marked by the fact that Diwali takes place on amavasya (new moon), the darkest night of the Hindu calendar, explains the aforementioned publication.

It is common for people to worship ‘Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and decorate their houses with colored sand, rice paste and flowers.’

3. The Jewish New Year: Rosh Hashanah

The time of Rosh Hashanah is “a time of reflection, to make amends for any missteps during the year and to forgive others.”

Before and during Rosh Hashanah, a shofar (ram’s horn trumpet) is blown.

Those who practice Judaism follow the Hebrew lunar calendar (and not the traditional Gregorian calendar). That’s why National Geographic points out that “days are counted differently.”

To give you an idea: in 2023, “New Year’s Eve took place in September.”

In 2024, the Jewish New Year starts on Wednesday afternoon, October 2 and ends on Friday afternoon, October 4.

As part of their activities, people go to their synagogues.

4. Nouruz, the celebration of the Persian New Year

Nouruz has been celebrated by millions of people for more than 3,000 years.

The United Nations, citing National Geographic, points out that it is celebrated by “more than 300 million people in Central Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Middle East and other regions.”

They explain that Nowruz (also Nowruz, Noruz or Norouz), the day of the vernal equinox, “marks the first day of spring, the beginning of the new year (of the Persian calendar) and the renewal of nature. ”

The festivities last two weeks and are varied. They include “street music and dance performances, public fire and water rituals and traditional sports competitions.”

Expanding on the celebration, National Geographic points out that UNESCO emphasizes the custom of “eating together with family and friends around a table decorated with objects symbolizing purity, brightness, life and prosperity.”

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5. The Gregorian New Year

It’s the one we’ll expect to see in a few days. Starts January 1. The joy of the Gregorian New Year brings families together for hugs and meals together. The fireworks and bells of temples and churches come together as an old song says: ‘a year that comes and a year that goes’.

According to AS USA, “The origins of the New Year celebration as we know it date back to 1582.” January 1 of that year “was recorded as the first New Year’s Day in the history of the modern world thanks to Pope Gregory XIII, who was responsible for establishing this important date through the implementation of the Gregorian calendar.”

(JO)