It's Another New Year...

Saturday, December 31, 2005

It's Another New Year...
...but for what reason?

"Happy New Year!" That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way.India is a country of great diversity. India is made up of numerous regional and cultural variations. As a result of these cultural variations, festivals are celebrated at different times and in different ways according to regional culture. This is true of New Year as well. Though Hinduism is the religion that is followed by the largest percentage of people in India, even within the Hindu community New Year is not celebrated at the same time of the year and in the same fashion.

ANCIENT NEW YEARS :

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
HINDU RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS :

In West Bengal, which is in the eastern part of India, New Year is celebrated during spring. People decorate their houses with colorful flowers in pink, red, purple and white. Women wear clothes that are yellow in color. This color is symbolic of spring. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the south of India, New Year is celebrated in the spring too. On New Year's Day, it is customary for people eat a small helping of a salad made of neem leaves, jagarey, raw mangoes and bananas. By eating this on New Year's Day, the person is symbolically accepting everything bitter and sweet that is likely to come his way throughout the New Year. In Kerala, in the southern most part of India, on the night before New Year's Day, mothers prepare a special tray consisting of special food, fruits, flowers and gifts. This tray is the first thing that one should see on New Year's Day. So, as soon as the children are awake, they are led with their eyes closed to the tray.

In Central India, orange flags are hoisted from buildings and homes on New Year's Day. In Gujarat, which is in western India, New Year is celebrated in the end of October, on the day that coincides with Diwali. Diwali is an important Hindu festival, but in Gujarat it is celebrated as New Year's Day as well. People light little oil lamps on and around their houses to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

In India, the Hindus have a New Year celebration four times a year to welcome each of the four seasons. Diwali is one of the New Year festivals held at the beginning of autumn. They believe that the Hindu goddess of good luck visits homes that are brightly lit. Children make "dipas" which are small clay lamps to light and bring the good luck goddess to their home so they can receive new clothes and toys. One family may have many thousand of these little lights decorating their home.
The first day of Diwali is also a New Year of Business. All companies pay off debts and their cars are decorated with flowers and palm leaves to bless the vehicles to run well in the new year.

Thus in a country as a result of cultural diversity New Year's Day is celebrated on different days throughout the calendar year.