Why do people celebrate a new year during the middle of a season?

Question

This is something that honestly goes beyond my understanding. For me, the first day of a new year would be different in southern hemisphere becomes spring comes at a different time. For me spring would be the beginning of a new year because it is the beginning of a new cycle, new life. All the rest of the natural world starts a new cycle of birth and life in spring, why does mankind choose to start a new cycle in the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere and them middle of summer in the southern hemisphere?

Answer 1

If you're interested in how the tradition got started, it is generally agreed to be very, VERY old.

For people more primitive than you or I, winter is like slow, agonizing torture. You are probably cooped up in a small space for warmth. Longer and longer nights take away your ability to see and turn the lands over to nocturnal creatures. It becomes hard to impossible to find new food. If you're clever, you've saved up some supplies, but each day you see that the supplies are getting lower and lower. Cold, hungry death stares you in the face on a daily basis.

You can see, perhaps, why winter solstice was celebrated in just about every culture. Where it looked like the world was dying and all the life going away, on the solstice it starts to return. The days come back, the warmth and creatures return, and life seems to bloom from everywhere.

What's more, on the solstice you would know how much food you would need to last you until spring - just as much as you already ate. It was on that day alone that you would suddenly have 'extra' food. And with life coming back, what better thing to do than party and eat it all?

That is why the new year falls in the MIDDLE of a season. Those in the Southern hemisphere got the date from the same place they got their calander - from the North. Hope the helps!

Answer 2

We are all creatures of habit and as traditions go we don't want to upset the apple cart so to speak.We feel like its easier to go with the flow sometimes otherwise I feel like you have the opportunity to celebrate when you get ready.Have a Nice Day (our ancestors set the date)

Answer 3

Only SOME people celebrate the new year on Jan 1 -- those who use the Gregorian Calendar. Haven't you ever heard of "Chinese New Year?"

In the Islamic world, the new year starts on the first day of Muharram; the Jewish new year is on Rosh Hashanah; (some) Wiccans celebrate the new year on Sammhain...

Basically, it's arbitrary. It just depends on the calendar you use.

Answer 4

because the middle of winter, IE when it begins to subside into spring,
is arguably the beginning of spring.
The reason its not different in the southern hemisphere is because they use the same calander as the north.
get over it.

Answer 5

I think the tradition of celebrating a new year has its origins in the west of the northern hemisphere, something that reached the people living in southern hemisphere later who thought it would be a good idea to follow just another celebration as introduced by a brave new world, that is the west of the northern hemisphere. So this I think is answer to the question of the south and the north side of the globe.

When it comes to seeking a co-ordination of New Year celebration with the seasons, you have a point. But I think this might be to do with some basic human psychological needs that we find excuses to cheer up, to celebrate, to cook, to eat, to dance, to play pranks, to indulge amorous affairs, and above all to party when nothing in the general nature of any thing extra human is doing all this for us to see and enjoy, as where there is very little or nothing else to do why not have fun, besides it is always a good idea to party.

The coming of Christmas closely followed by a New Year in time might not be all that coincidental after all, as two events create a combined atmosphere is joviality and solemnity, where human excesses of secular celebrations have their spiritual ideals in form of charity and generosity, where there is a happy new year upon the horizon there is also a chance of remembrance of the past.

Answer 6

In any case, I believe the true year begins with the month of March and not January.... that fits in with the names of many months like September (7th), October (8th), November (9th) and December (10th)..... March is the nearest beginning of Spring in the Northern hemisphere (calendar and these celebrations have all originated in the Northern hemisphere). I therefore agree that 1st Jan is an aberration, just like 25 Dec. I would venture to guess that one of the reasons for celebrations in the heart of winter (Northern hemisphere) in the Western culture could well be the practical aspect of enjoying alcoholic drinks in the cold and long nights.

Answer 7

The new year in the northern hemisphere comes a little more than a week after the winter solstice, which may make sense in that it's about the time that observant people can begin to notice that days are getting longer again. Whoopie!

Unfortunately, the reverse is true in the southern hemisphere. The new year comes when the daylight hours have just begun to shorten. But, hey, celebrate on July 1st if you prefer!

Answer 8

Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways? We are all 'bass ackwards'!!

Answer 9

Chill out a bit, don't be so pedantic.

Answer 10

Ask the Romans, they devised the calendar.