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April Holloway is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. For privacy reasons, she has previously written on Ancient Origins under the pen name April Holloway, but is now choosing to use her real name,Joanna Gillan.
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In Buddhist temples around the world, gongs are struck 108 times on New Years Eve in an effort to expel 108 types of human weakness.
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In Spain, it is customary to have 12 grapes at hand when the clock strikes 12 at midnight. One grape is eaten on each stroke. If all the grapes are eaten within the period of the strikes, it means good luck in the New Year.
Recent discoveries at the Temple of Mut showed that during the reign of Hatshepsut, the first month of the year played host to a Festival of Drunkenness. This massive party was tied to the myth of Sekhmet, a war goddess who had planned to kill all of humanity until the sun god Ra tricked her into drinking herself unconscious. In honour of mankinds salvation, the Egyptians would celebrate with music, sex, revelry and copious amounts of beer.
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By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings.
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I wish this article on new years celebrations in various cultures ancient and modern had included Jewish New Year. Im quite surprised that Norooz was included, but Rosh Hashanah wasnt. Hmm…
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Looking for book recommendations for Christian/Jewish/Kabbalah etc mythology
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The Persian New Year, otherwise called Nowruz (or Norooz), is a 13-day spring festival that reaches far back into antiquity, though many of the traditions associated with it are still celebrated in Iran and other parts of the Middle East and Asia. The festival is celebrated on or around the vernal equinox in March and is believed to have originated as part of the Zoroastrian religion. Official records of Nowruz did not appear until the 2nd century, but most historians believe its celebration dates back at least as far as the 6th century BC. Unlike many other ancient Persian festivals, Nowruz persisted as an important holiday even after Irans conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BC and the rise of Islamic rule in the 7th century A.D.
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Residents of Scotland mark the arrival of the New Year with particular passion in a holiday they call Hogmanay that draws on their history of Viking invasions, superstition, and ancient pagan rituals. Hogmanays origins date back to pagan rituals that marked the time of the winter solstice. Roman celebrations of the hedonistic winter festival of Saturnalia and Viking celebrations of Yule (the origin of the twelve days of Christmas) contributed to celebrations in Scotland around the New Year. These celebrations and other ceremonies evolved over the centuries to become the Hogmanay holiday celebrated in Scotland today. During the Middle Ages, the pre-existing pagan winter festivals were overshadowed by the feasts surrounding Christmas, and the New Year was moved to coincide with Christian holy days. Following the reformation in Scotland, however, celebration of Christmas was discouraged, and so the gift-giving and celebration that accompanied Christmas elsewhere took place at New Year, giving rise to the uniquely Scottish celebration of Hogmanay.
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In the Netherlands, the Dutch burn bonfires of Christmas trees on the street and launch fireworks.
Bas-relief in Persepolis – a symbol Zoroastrian Nowruz – in day of a spring equinox power of eternally fighting bull (personifying the Earth), and a lion (personifying the Sun), are equal. (Wikimedia Commons)
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In many countries around the world, New Years Day is celebrated on 1stJanuary with fireworks and festivities the evening before. But this is not the only type of New Years celebration and not everyone celebrates on 1stJanuary. Here we look at celebrations to honour the New Year in different cultures around the world.
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Ethiopian New Year is called Enqutatash and is celebrated on 11thor 12thSeptember, depending on the leap year. Ethiopia uses its own ancient calendar called the Geez calendar. The date of Enqutatash marks the approximate end of three months of heavy rain. Daisies blossom all over the mountains and fields change into bright yellow. It is a period when the old bless the young and the young hope for new prospects. It has also been associated traditionally with the return of the Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia following her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem in about 980 BC. Enqutatash is a holiday shared among people of all religions and almost all cultures throughout the country. Large celebrations are held, which start from the eve by burning a Christmas tree made out of twigs in front of their houses. The actual New Years day starts by slaughtering of the animals, blessing the bread and Tella (a traditional brew).
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Ancient Egyptian culture was closely tied to the Nile River, and it appears their New Year corresponded with its annual flood. The Egyptian New Year was predicted when Siriusthe brightest star in the night skyfirst became visible after a 70-day absence, which typically occurred in mid-July just before the annual inundation of the Nile River, which helped ensure that farmlands remained fertile for the coming year. Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival known as Wepet Renpet, which means opening of the year. The New Year was seen as a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, and it was honoured with feasts and special religious rites.
Wootz steel was amongst the finest in the world. It is the metal that was used to fashion weapons such as the famous Damascus blades of the Middle Ages. However, Wootz steel dates back much further…
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One of the oldest traditions still celebrated today is Chinese New Year, which is believed to have originated around three millennia ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday began as a way of celebrating the new beginnings of the spring planting season, but later it became connected with myth and legend. According to one account, there was once abloodthirsty creature called Niannow the Chinese word for yearthat preyed on villages every New Year. In order to frighten the hungry beast, the villagers took to decorating their homes with red trimmings, burning bamboo and making loud noises. The ruse worked, and the bright colours and lights associated with scaring off Nian eventually became integrated into the customs that are still seen today. Festivities are now celebrated with food, families, lucky money (usually in a red envelope), and many other red things for good luck. Lion and dragon dances, drums, fireworks, firecrackers, and other types of entertainment fill the streets on this day. Since Chinese New Year is still based on a lunar calendar that dates back to the second millennium BC, the holiday typically falls in late January or early February on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Each year is associated with one of 12 zodiacal animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog or pig.
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Ancient observances of Nowruz focused on the rebirth that accompanied the return of spring. Traditions included feasts, exchanging presents with family members and neighbours, lighting bonfires, dyeing eggs and sprinkling water to symbolise creation. Nowruz has evolved considerably over time, but many of its ancient traditionsparticularly the use of bonfires and coloured eggsremain a part of the modern holiday, which is observed by an estimated 300 million people each year.
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Sinhalese New Year is celebrated by the Sri Lankan Sinhalese, while the Tamil New Year on the same day is celebrated by Sri Lankan Tamils. The Sinhalese New Year (aluth avurudda), marks the end of harvest season and is held on 13thor 14thApril. There is an astrologically generated time gap between the passing year and the New Year, which is based on the passing of the sun from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries) in the celestial sphere. The astrological time difference between the New Year and the passing year is celebrated with several Buddhist rituals and customs, as well as social gatherings and festive parties. The exchange of gifts, the lighting of the oil lamp, and making rice milk are significant aspects of the Sinhalese New Year. In Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, Hindu households also celebrate the New Year on 14thor 15thApril.
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The above-mentioned customs and traditions are just a small selection of cultural celebrations that take place around the world. But there are, of course, many more.
In Greece, the traditional food served is Vassilopitta, a cake in which a coin is hidden inside; whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will receive good luck during the coming year.
Dragon dance on Chinese New Year. Source: BigStockPhoto
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The various local traditions found in Scotland relating to fires also hark back to the ancient past. In the pagan winter celebrations, fire symbolised the newly resurgent sun coming back to the land, and was believed to ward off evil spirits dwelling in the darkness. Fires still play a major part in Hogmanay celebrations, with torchlight processions, bonfires and fireworks popular throughout Scotland. Another custom known as first footing dictates that the first person to cross a homes threshold after midnight on New Years Eve will determine the homeowners luck for the New Year. The ideal visitor bears giftspreferably whiskey, coal for the fire, small cakes, or a coinand should be a man with a dark complexion. Why? The answer goes back to the 8th century, when the presumably fair-haired Vikings invaded Scotland: a blond visitor was not a good omen.