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 Happy
New Year, everyone! The New Year is a time for celebration all over the
world. Here in Korea, we celebrate the New Year by eating rice cake soup.
We also wear Korean traditional dress Hanbok. And then we perform a New Year's bow
to our grandparents and parents. Also, we exchange New Year's greetings. However, not every
country celebrates the same way as we do.
Also, the day celebrated as New Year's Day in modern countries was not
always January 1. This week, let's learn more about New Year's Day.
The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. According to history, New
Year's Day was celebrated at least as far back as 2000
B.C. It was first celebrated in ancient Babylon about 4,000
years ago. Although it was probably celebrated earlier
than that, this is when the actual records of the celebrations
appear. These records show that in the years around
2000 B.C., the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon after
the Vernal Equinox춘분 (first day of spring). They thought the beginning of spring is a
good time to start a new year.
This was because spring is the season of rebirth. Also, it is the
season of planting new crops, and of blossoming. The Babylonian
New Year celebration lasted for 11 days.
The Romans continued to celebrate the New Year in late March. But
their calendar was continually changed by various emperors. This made people
confused. In order to set the calendar
right, the Roman senate declared January 1 to be
the beginning of the New Year in 153 B.C.
Some of the New Year's Day traditions originate from the Babylonians.
 For example,
the tradition of New Year's resolutions is thought to
have begun at this time. History tells us that the custom of making a New Year's
resolution began with the Babylonian custom of returning something that
they had borrowed from a neighbor or friend on New
Year's Day. The Romans would carry on the custom of the
resolution by promising themselves to ask for forgiveness from an enemy.
The ancient people believed that the first things a person did on
the first day of the New Year would affect the luck they would
enjoy over the coming year. That is why it was important to begin
the year with friends, family, food and fun. A good beginning was
thought to bring good luck for the rest of the year. |
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