In modern times, New Year's Day refers to the first day of the first year of the year. Since the Gregorian calendar was introduced into China, the word New Year's Day has been dedicated to the New Year, and the traditional old calendar year is called the Spring Festival.
Before that, New Year's Day always refers to the first day of the Chinese New Year. Yuan means "early" and "beginning", but it means "day". New Year's Day is called "the first day" and is the first day of the year.
1On September 27th, 949, the first plenary session of the China People's Political Consultative Conference decided that "the people of China and the national calendar should adopt the AD calendar method", which is what we call the solar calendar. In order to distinguish between the two New Years, and in view of the fact that the "beginning of spring" in the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar is just around the Lunar New Year, the first day of the first lunar month is changed to "Spring Festival" and the solar calendar is January.
New year's day customs in various countries
Thailand
The traditional Thai New Year, namely Songkran (Sanskrit transliteration), is also called Songkran Festival, and the Gregorian calendar is from 13 to 16 every month. During the festival, people travel with huge Buddha statues in cars, followed by floats, on which stood the "Goddess Gan Song" in makeup, and groups of young men and women in colorful national costumes, drumming long drums, singing and dancing. On both sides of the road where the parade passed, good men and women walked along the street, filled with water soaked in scallops and permeated with spices in silver bowls, and sprinkled it on the Buddha statue and the "goddess Gan Song" to pray for a happy New Year and good weather. Then people splash water on each other, wishing their elders a long and healthy life, wishing friends and relatives and unmarried young men and women a happy New Year, and splashing water on each other to express their love. On the first day of the new year, Thais will put a basin of clear water on the windowsill and doorway, and every family will go to the riverside in the suburbs to take a New Year bath. In order to celebrate the New Year, Thais will hold a large-scale "Elephant Race Conference", which includes: tug-of-war between elephants, elephants jumping up to pick up things, elephants crossing people, elephant football matches, ancient elephant array performances and so on. It's wonderful and touching.
Riben
Japanese people pay special attention to the New Year, and every year 65438+February 29th-65438+1October 3rd is a national holiday. The Japanese call 65438+February 3 1 "Great Dark Day", that is, New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, the Japanese call it "New Year's Eve". At night, they pray for the gods to send away the troubled old year and usher in a beautiful new year. This is the so-called "first day". At midnight on New Year's Eve, temples in urban and rural areas rang bells 108 to exorcise evil spirits, while the Japanese sat quietly and listened to the "except the night bell". When the bell stops, it means the arrival of a new year. People leave their seats and go to bed, hoping to have a good dream. On New Year's morning, families sit around and tell each other about their dreams on New Year's Eve to test good luck or bad luck. The Japanese call the first day of New Year's Day "Zhengri". 1-3 is "Three Congratulations Day": On the right day, the younger generation should go to their parents' home to pay New Year greetings first, and then pay New Year greetings to relatives and friends. The New Year is still a "eating" festival, and people all over the world pray for good luck by eating their own food. On "Zhengri" day, the Japanese will have a big breakfast, including sugar, soba noodles and Tu Su wine. After that, they went vegetarian for three days in a row to show their piety and pray for good luck in the coming year. At present, most urban people in Japan give up vegetarian food in the New Year and eat a hollow noodle at the "night show" to wish them health and longevity in the new year.
Edge
Egypt is an ancient civilization. In 40 BC, Egyptians were able to observe the stars. They found that Sirius rose with the sun and the Nile rose immediately. Egypt regards the day when the Nile rises as the beginning of the new year, which is called the "Rising Water New Year". In Croute, people put a table at the door to welcome the New Year. Seven or eight dishes are served with cereals such as soybeans, lentils, alfalfa and wheat, and there are many green plants, which symbolize abundance. The more you give to God, the more you will get in the new year. The New Year in Egypt is in autumn, because agricultural production in Egypt begins in autumn.
Yindu
In India, New Year's Day begins on June 65438+1October 3 1, and the fourth day is New Year's Day. On the first day of the new year, no one is allowed to be angry with others, let alone lose his temper. In some parts of India, on the morning of New Year's Day, every household kept crying, and everyone's face was covered with tears. They greet the New Year with tears, because time flies and life is short, which is a lament for life. In some areas, people welcome the New Year by fasting for one day and one night, from the early morning of New Year's Day to midnight. Because of this weird custom, New Year's Day in India is called "Crying New Year's Day" and "Fasting New Year's Day". In the first five days of the Lunar New Year, Indians will perform the Indian epic Ramayana (Ramayana, meaning Ramayana Parade) everywhere, playing the role of the hero in the epic "fighting" with the paper giant. The "hero" will light an arrow and the paper giant will catch fire in the cheers of the audience. Before New Year's Eve, all kinds of beautiful pictures will be posted in front of every household. On the morning of New Year's Day, people go out to pay New Year greetings to the elderly, relatives and friends with elaborate lanterns and red envelopes. After meeting and congratulating each other, sprinkle red powder on each other's foreheads to show good luck and look up at each other. Young people put red ink into a water gun and shoot it at relatives and friends, which is called "sprinkling red", indicating good luck. Indian youth like to meet and fight with their bare hands during the New Year, whether they are familiar with it or not. Watching and cheering is often the object of girls' pursuit. To celebrate the New Year, Boxler, an indigenous people in central India, erected a smooth and thick wooden pole on the playground, with a small bag full of gifts at the top of the pole. Girls hold bamboo poles and try their best to prevent boys from climbing the pole, while boys form a circle under the pole, trying to defend girls from attacking the pole climber until the pole climber takes the small bag.