Jewish New Year

The Jewish New Year Festival is called Rosh Hashanah. The date varies each year, as they have their own calendar which is lunisolar in nature.

The New Year is on the first two days of the seventh month, this was done so that the farmers could visit Jerusalem before the winter rains came. The first ten days of this month are the most holiest.

Tradition speaks of a symbolic book in heaven which was said to have records of those who did good and bad deeds and on Rosh Hashanah all people must account to God for their behavior during the past year. However, all people are given ten days before the New Year and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur to show they are sorry for any wrong doings they may have done.

They undo all wrong doings by performing good deeds and by thinking about how to live a better life in the future. If they are sincere, God was suppose to forgive them and on Yom Kippur he sets down and foretells each person's fate for the next year in the book. He will write them down for a good year.

They send each other cards with the traditional message "May you be written down for a good year." They exchange the same greetings the day before Rosh Hashanah, when they attend prayers at the synagogue before returning to their homes for a special New Year Eve meal.

The New Years Eve dinner has, festival candles which are lit and the table is decorated with fresh fruit of the season, especially grapes. Other foods that are served are bread known as Challah, honey cake and honey jar as well as fresh fruits. Fish is also served as it symbolizes fruitfulness and plenty.

A special service is held on New Year, which ends in the blowing of the shofar. During the service, 100 separate notes may be blown on the shofar. This is the most important ritual to the people who are too ill to attend the service try to find someone to come to their place and blow the shofar for them.

At the end of the ten days the period ends with a repentance culminating on Yom Kippur with a 24 hour fast which ends at sunset with a final note on the shofar, signifying the closing of the Book of Life.

Persian New Year

At the announcement of Persian New Year or Noruz which is the exact moment of spring, all family members sit around haft-sin table and may read a prayer for health and happiness.

At the announcement of New Year, all members of the family kiss each other. There is also special meal that is prepared for the first day of New Year. The main part of meal includes special rice made with herbs called sabzi polo, special fish, and kuku sabzi, a quiche made with herbs.

From the first day of New Year to 12th day, people visit each other, usually younger people visit the older family members and relatives first. Children receive Eidi which is money given by adults as their New Year's present.

On the 13th day of the New Year called Sizdeh bedar, everyone goes to picnics as it is considered unlucky to stay indoors on 13th day. You throw the Sabzeh which is a wheat or lentil seeds you grew for haft-sin table in running water, to remove the bad luck from your home of the previous year. It is common to eat a special noodle soup for Sizdeh bedar.

Zartoshti New Year

The Zartoshti(Parsees) celebrate the traditional Persian New Year by worshipping at their fire temples, visiting friends and family, wearing new clothes and feasting. They usually observe the New Year on March 31 but some Parsees believe it is later in the year.

Islamic New Year

The Muslims have their own calendar which is based on the cycles of the moon. The calendar consists of twelve months but, only has 354 days unlike other calendars such as the Gregorian or Jewish calendar etc. For this reason the Islamic New Year moves eleven days backwards through the seasons each year.

Muharram is the first month of the Muslim year its first day is celebrated as New Year’s Day.

The Islamic New Year throughout the world is held quietly, without the festive atmosphere of other New Year celebrations.

The appearance of the new moon is recorded in the mosques and special prayers are said. The most important part of the New Year is the telling of the story of the Flight of Medina. The story goes over the radio for everyone to hear.

French New Year

French New Year or Jour des Étrennes or Day of New Year’s Presents.

In France dinner parties are thrown for the entire family. People exchange presents and greeting cards. People began sending fake gifts on April first which originally culminated in the New Year feast of course these gifts were only as a joke on those who previously had received their étrennes or New Year's gifts, on that day.

Poisson d'avril or April fish is the name the French apply to one who is fooled or mocked on April first. Confectioners' windows display chocolate fish on this day and many friends anonymously send each other humorous postcards imprinted with pictures of fish.

The French adopted the reformed calendar in 1582 which changed the beginning of the New Year from March 25 to January first.

English New Year

In England crowds of people gather in Trafalgar square, and Piccadilly Circus as well as stand around to hear the chimes of London's Big Ben announces the arrival of the New Year. Everyone stands around with arms linked to sing Auld Lang Syne .

In England the custom of first-footing is important. The reason is that it is supposed to ensure good luck for the inhabitants of the house. The first-footer must be male, young, healthy and good looking. He must be dark-haired and he should be carrying a small piece of coal, money, bread, and salt. These are the symbols of wealth.

The custom of exchanging gifts was transferred to Christmas it was originally done at New Year, when the Lord of the Manor was given samples of produce by his tenants and peasants, while he gave a valuable gift to the Queen or King. The Englishman gave their wives money to by pins for the coming year. This Tradition died, but, the expression "pin money" is still used to describe the money set aside for personal use, especially if given to a woman by her husband.

On New Year's Day children from England and Great Britain rise early to make the rounds to their neighbors singing songs. They are given coins, mince pies, apples and other sweets for singing. This must be done by noon or the singer will be called fools.

The Burning Bush is a nineteenth century custom carried into the early years of this century. In Radnorshire and Herefordshire farmhand would get up early before dawn on New Year's Day and carry a hawthorn bush to the field. They were burnt in straw on the wheat field. It was a symbol of good luck for the farmers. The bushes sometimes hung in the kitchen until the next year.

In England girls would drop egg whites into water. They thought it would form the first letter of the name of the man they would marry.

New Year Songs

Auld Lang Syne
Scottish words meaning: "good old days", or "time remembered with fondness."

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
7and days of Auld Lang Syne.

For Auld Lang Syne, my dear,
for Auld Lang Syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet
for Auld Lang Syne.

(Repeat entire verse)

LONGER VERSION

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne?

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

And surely, ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Chorus:

We twa hae mn about the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne.

Chorus:

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.

Chorus:

And here's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
And we'll tak' a right gude-willy waught,
For auld lang syne.

Chorus:a