New Year does not start from January 1! The world’s first calendar is 4000 years old, know how it is calculated

Today is 1 January 2025. Every time the New Year is welcomed with great enthusiasm and the new calendar is decorated in the house. What new things have to be done on the New Year is decided in advance. When to plan holidays in the new year, when to schedule a wedding, when will the long weekend come, on which day will be the birthday or anniversary, the calendar is consulted for everything. It is very important in the lives of all of us.

Connection of calendar with moon and sun
The calendar gives information about day, week, month and year. Calendars have been changed many times in the world. But everyone’s calculations were done by looking at the moon and the sun. Calendar is derived from the word Kalendae which is the first day of every month according to the Roman calendar. It means calling. This is a word related to the new moon that appears after the new moon. Later this word was adopted by English and became calendar.

world’s oldest calendar
Historian Amarlochan believes that the world’s first calendar was made in Mesopotamia 4 thousand years ago. The calendar of the Sumerian civilization is also considered old. This calendar had 12 months and 29 to 30 days. In 2510 BC, a calendar was made in ancient Egypt which was based on the moon. In this calendar there were 3 seasons according to the condition of the Nile River. In fact, this river has been the support of life in Egypt. Every year this river used to flood from June to September, hence it was called the month of floods. October to January was the crisis period and February to May was the harvest season.

7 days of the month are named after Gods (Image-Canva)

310 days in the Roman calendar?
The calendar made in ancient Rome was from March to December. According to this there were only 10 months in the year. The king there, Numa Popilus, decided to change this calendar about 2600 years ago. He believed that the month of March has been named after Mars, the god of war, which is not right. Therefore, they made January the first month of the year in the name of Janus, the god of new beginnings. In this calendar there were only 310 days and 10 months in the year. After political turmoil, power in Rome came to Julius Caesar and he added 365 days to the calendar and decided to make February 29 days.

We follow the Gregorian calendar
Today, the calendar that the whole world follows to celebrate the New Year is called the Gregorian calendar. It started in 1528. The Julian calendar made by Julius Caesar had many flaws. In such a situation, Pope Gregory of a church in Rome created the Gregorian calendar. In this, the new year started from January 1, but the calculation of one year was 365 days, 5 hours, 48 ​​minutes and 46 seconds. Whereas in the Julian calendar this calculation was of 365 days and 6 hours. This calendar was first adopted by Italy. Gradually it was adopted throughout Europe. Britain accepted this calendar in 1752. British rule in India started in 1608 but after 1752 the British implemented this calendar in India also.

Every calendar was calculated according to the rotation of the sun and the moon (Image-Canva)

Many countries do not celebrate New Year on 1 January
People of Hindu community in India believe in Vikram Samvat. According to this calendar, the new year starts with Navratri in the month of Chaitra. This time Vikram Samvat 2082 is starting from 30 March 2025. In countries like Russia and Ukraine, the New Year starts on 14 January. The Chinese calendar is based on the moon. Their New Year starts from 21st January. New Year is celebrated on 1 April in Türkiye, Iraq and Iran. Sallan festival is celebrated on 5 February in South Korea. This is the first day of the year. The month of April is considered New Year in Thailand. The first day of the year is special for every country and some festival is definitely celebrated on this day, like in Thailand, Lord Buddha is bathed with water on the day of Songkran. Soup is made in Korea. In India, wheat is sown at home and in Japan, bells are rung.

Government makes fiscal calendar
The government of every country prepares this calendar keeping in mind its own financial year. Every year the country’s budget, taxes and policies are made. The fiscal calendar in America starts on October 1 and ends on September 30. Similarly, India’s financial year starts from 1 April and ends on 31 March. From business point of view, the financial year of traders in India starts from Diwali.

Tags: Astrology, happy new year, new year, New Year Celebration, religion