New Year's Day is a festival full of joy and hope! Let me tell you about New Year's Day.
The origin of New Year's Day
The origin of New Year's Day can be traced back to Zhuanxu, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors in prehistoric times. According to legend, Zhuanxu "took the first month of the summer as the beginning", that is, the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year must be "New Year's Day" or "Yuanzheng". This legend has a history of more than 5,000 years. Since then, different dynasties have different opinions on the specific date of New Year's Day. The Shang Dynasty established the first day of December as New Year's Day, the Zhou Dynasty established the first day of November as New Year's Day, and after the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, the first day of October was established as New Year's Day. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian first created the "Taichu Calendar", which took the first day of the first month of each year as New Year's Day. This method has been used until the Xinhai Revolution.
The evolution of New Year's Day
In 1912, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established. In order to "follow the Xia calendar to follow the agricultural season and follow the Western calendar to facilitate statistics", Mr. Sun Yat-sen designated the first day of the first lunar month of each year as the Spring Festival, and January 1 of the Western calendar (Gregorian calendar) as New Year's Day, also known as the New Year. In September 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, on the eve of the founding of New China, passed a resolution to adopt the "Gregorian calendar", and from a legal perspective, January 1 of the Gregorian calendar was designated as New Year's Day, and the first day of the first lunar month was designated as the Spring Festival. So far, New Year's Day has officially become a legal holiday for all ethnic groups in my country.
The meaning of New Year's Day
From the perspective of linguistic generation, "yuan" means the first, the first time, the beginning, etc.; "dan" means a sun rising from the ground or the water, implying that the sun is rising, and later extended to the meaning of dawn, light, and daytime. The combination of the two words "New Year's Day" refers to the first day of the first month of the year, that is, the first day of each year. The coming of New Year's Day means the end of the old year, which is condensed with wisdom and sweat, and the beginning of a new year full of vitality and hope. It means the reform of social life, the elimination of the old and the welcome of the new, and the preservation of the truth and innovation.
Customs of New Year's Day
New Year's Countdown: In many countries, people count down on New Year's Eve to welcome the arrival of the New Year. This custom originated from the ancient people's concept of time. They believed that time has a mysterious power and countdown can drive away the bad luck of the past and bring good luck in the New Year.
Fireworks: In the early hours of the New Year, people will set off fireworks outdoors to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
Giving gifts to each other: During the New Year, people will give gifts to each other to express their blessings and care. Some common gifts include chocolates, cards, bouquets, etc.
Dinner: In many countries and regions, people will have dinner with family or friends during the New Year. This custom stems from people's emphasis on family and cherishment of family affection.
Dragon and Lion Dance: In China and other Asian countries, people will perform dragon and lion dances during the New Year. This custom originated from the folk tradition of ancient China. People believed that dragon and lion dances could drive away evil forces and bring good luck and prosperity.
In addition, different countries and regions have their own unique New Year's Day customs, such as the popular custom of "drawing well water" on New Year's Day in the UK, and greeting animals on the morning of New Year's Day in Belgium.
How about the content about New Year's Day? I hope this information can help you better understand this festival!
