New Year is celebrated on 1st January in nearly every part of the world as per the Christian tradition, the place the Gregorian calendar is followed.
Most nations comply with the Gregorian calendar with 12 months in a year, the year comes to cease on December 31st and started out on January 1st and this calendar is the de facto calendar in most countries.
Even India uses this calendar alongside the Indian countrywide calendar (the Shalivahana Shaka calendar) and hence, for this reason, New Year is additionally celebrated on January 1st.
Different countries observe their traditional or religious New Years Day according to their own customs, sometimes in addition to a (Gregorian) civil calendar. Some of these New Year celebrations in various countries are Chinese New Year, the Islamic New Year, the traditional Japanese New Year, and the Jewish New Year.
India and other countries continue to celebrate New Year on different dates as New Year festivals.
India is a country where people of various cultures, languages, castes, and religions live together follows both solar and lunar calendar systems, and New Year is celebrated as per Vedic time.
There are numerous days in a year when the New Year is celebrated. Every state in India celebrates the New Year in its own way, following traditions and customs and are a part of that particular region exclusively. The Hindu New Year is also known as the Vikram Samvat and all the festivals are based on it. These give birth to numerous New Year festivals across the beautiful India.
The regions following Solar Calendar celebrate New Year on Baisakhi in North and Central India, Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Rongali Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Vishu in Kerala, Pana Sankranti in Odisha, and Poila Boishakh in Bengal in the month of the calendar, i.e., Vaishakha. This day generally falls on 14th or 15th April.
The regions following Lunar Calendar consider Chaitra to be the first month of the year which falls in the month of March- April. Gujarat celebrates New Year’s Day after Diwali in Kartik month (October – November).
Here is the listing of quite a number New Year Festivals celebrated round the year in the various Indian States.
Losoong
Losoong is the Sikkim New Year and is celebrated in the month of December. Based on the Tibetan lunar calendar it is the typical festival of the Bhutia tribe however is additionally celebrated by using the Lepchas and is referred to as Namsoong.
The celebrations include burning of the demon, as well as organizing competitions. Prayers are offered in monasteries.
Puthandu
In Tamil Nadu the New Year is additionally known as Puthuvarusham. The day is spent with family and different prayers or pujas are conducted. People put on new clothes and kids are seeking for the blessings of the older generation.
It is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month Chittirai. On the New Year ’s Eve a tray is organized with quite a number assortments, such as fruits, betel leaves, jewellery, coins, flowers and a mirror. It is viewed auspicious to see the tray on the first day of the New Year.
Gudi Padwa
Celebrated on the first day of Chaitra month, Gudi Padwa is a New Year Day for Maharashtrians and Konkanis.
On this day a gudi can be found hanging out on the right side of the main access of the houses. (Gudi is a bright yellow cloth tied to the tip of a long bamboo and copper pot positioned on it along with a sugar garland).
Baisakhi
Baisakhi is the harvest festival, celebrated with great pomp and elegance amongst the Sikhs. Marking the starting of the New Year on 13th April and some time on 14th, the festival brings collectively people from all religions.
Baisakhi additionally stands as the day of the formation of the Sikh Khalsa. The principal festivities can be seen occurring in the Golden Temple in Amritsar alongside with United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Bohag Bihu
Celebrated in the middle of April, Bohag Bihu marks the beginning of an Assamese New Year. The festival is one of the most significant festivals of Assam that is celebrated with great zeal, faith and belief.
Pohela Boishakh
Celebrated with great enthusiasm during the mid of April,The Nabo Barsho is the Bengali New Year.
The day brings in lots of festivities along with several cultural programs, shopping and prayers. Pohela Boishakh is celebrated by tribal people in hilly regions of Tripura and also in cities of other countries.
Bestu Varas
Bestu Varas is the Gujarati New Year which marks the beginning of the harvest season in Gujrat and therefore is observed with great fervour.
The festival comes on the day after Diwali along with religious rituals and traditions. Marwaris of Rajasthan observe Diwali as a new year, as the most pious day to start a new beginning.
Hijri
The Muslim New Year Begin on the first day of Muharram as the Islamic calendar does now not line up with the Gregorian calendar and solely due to the fact of that the date for the Islamic New Year or Muharram fluctuate as per lunar calendar.
The New Year is celebrated with historic customs & traditions for incoming spring.
Cheti Chand
Sindhis celebrate the New Year as Cheti Chand or Jhulelal Jayanti (birth) or Dariyalal Jayanti or New Year Day. As per the Hindu Calendar, the Cheti Chand festival is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra.
Jhulelal is considered as an incarnation of Lord Varun, God of water. Jhulelal had provided justice to the Sindhi community and saved them from Muslim King Mirik Shah.
People from Sindhi Community celebrate the festival with a number of rituals, fairs, feast parties, social gatherings, etc.
Pana Sankranti
Pana Sankranti, also known as Maha Vishuba Sankranti, is the traditional new year day festival of Hindus in Odisha, India. On this day the sun enters the sidereal Aries or Mesha Rashi. It generally falls on 14/15 April.
Maha Visuva Sankranti is the first day of the month of ‘Baisakh’ as well as the solar year. This is also called “Jala Visuva Sankranti” In northern India, it is called “Jala Sankranti “, in southern India “Sakkar Pongal” and in Orissa it is known as “Pana Sankranti “, named after ‘Pana’, the main drink offering specially prepared on this occasion.
On this day a small pot filled with pana or a sweet drink of Mishri and water is hung on a basil (Tulsi) plant.
There is a hole at the bottom of this pot which allows the water to fall from the pot, representing rain. The flour of horse gram chhatua, along with banana and curd, is consumed by the people of Odisha after offering it to the Tulsi plant.
