New Years Around The World: When And How Religions Celebrate

As we get ready to ring in 2011, we at HuffPost Religion would like to highlight celebrations from some of the world's religious traditions. While the modern world is beholden to the Gregorian calendar and its Jan. 1 New Year's Day, many faiths continue to follow other calendar systems for ceremonial and spiritual purposes. Therefore, these celebrations take place at different times throughout the year.

These "New Year" holidays are yet another reminder of the common threads shared by many of the world's religions. Despite the differences in the ways that they are observed, these traditions all express an appreciation for the past coupled with a hope for blessings and prosperity in the coming year.

Orthodox New Year

• • • • • • • • Many of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, such as those in Russia and Serbia, still observe their holidays and festivals based on the Julian calendar. Therefore, the New Year gets celebrated twice by many people in these countries: The "New New Year" on Jan. 1 and the "Old New Year" on the first day of the Julian Calendar which falls on either Jan. 13 or 14. Since most public festivities and celebrations are centered around the Gregorian new year, the "Old New Year" is generally observed more quietly by family meals, prayer and special church services.

Comments

[logicanada]

11:18 PM on 01/01/2011

Cops and preachers. People used to feel safe when they saw one.

[logicanada]

11:15 PM on 01/01/2011

Be real. Except where prohibited (by religion) just about everyone get's drunk and eats too much.

[jo smith456]

09:43 AM on 01/01/2011

Enlightening and interesting. The celebrations (re)ignite Hope, Reflections, looking inward and outward -- the very essence of how we perceive our own existence among one another...

[SangZe]

09:31 AM on 01/01/2011

Religions alway seem to celebrate with rifles and bombs.

[Ventoi]

11:47 PM on 12/31/2010

4. A little higher still is the red and green
view of God and all that is of him...
bringing the knowledge and colours of the other towers
of knowledge and learning...
and thus the sureness of its path upwards
rather than layering
the roads head towards a peak...
there is still a caution...
still the protective bumps...
and then we reach the ultimate
the compact
SURE
gold tower at the top...

[logicanada]

11:17 PM on 01/01/2011

Was that a poim ? Cool!

[Ventoi]

11:45 PM on 12/31/2010

3. Barely higher than the third gold and greenish tower
there is the one that looks red, black and white...
again...
this newer view
seems to be layered
...kind of the way we stack up new knowledge in piles
and refine it to a peak
a more exact top
The new colours may mean a new religion
and thus we see the spikes again
to protect the learning and information
...the progress

[Ventoi]

11:43 PM on 12/31/2010

2.A bit higher
the same colours
yet heading straight upward
not layered...
side by side...
rising the the heavens above
seeming to have a slight spin
as does the earth with its movement...?
The highways of movement
are sturdier...more well-defined...
surer somehow than they were in the first and second towers.

[Ventoi]

11:40 PM on 12/31/2010

1.St. Basils..
from a photo studied on Google the other day.,.
each tower top (in the shape of a kiss droplet) using colour and texture
perhaps one way to look at them is the progress
in our attempts to better understand God in our world
where we live
how we live
with whom we live
at the time in history that we live...
the lowest tower...is green and gold or looks that way from a distance...
the earth and the heavens..the earth and its riches...(here's a question...why GOLD? Why did we choose that as the better currency?)
It is layered...one learning stage after another...in history...with protective spikes...to keep
things safe and organized?

[dhinds]

10:04 PM on 12/31/2010

At least 10 years ago I noticed that if I went to bed early, I could greet the new year on awakening. It has now become a tradition. I feel great in the morning and have more cash the start the new year with by staying home.

[juzcuz]

07:57 PM on 12/31/2010

3 minutes ago there were 23 posted, now there are 24. Let's see how long it takes to get the 25th processed. Slow-mo in action.

[juzcuz]

07:58 PM on 12/31/2010

I must have rattle someone's cage... we're up to 25 already; good to know we're not just talking to ourselves, huh?

[juzcuz]

07:50 PM on 12/31/2010

I have to say... I absolutely hate the words religion and christian; they both have such an awful stigma now. Bigoted & hate-mongering christians (who do NOT follow Christ's teachings) make me cringe. They bible-thump (and interpret thru their eyes only), they live daily lives of judgmentalism, hypocrisy, and do anything BUT love their 'neighbors.' When someone swears they're religious... I run the other way because all their swearing proves differently.

[meeses]

07:59 PM on 12/31/2010

I think all religions fall into these categories you mention...

[Ventoi]

05:35 PM on 12/31/2010

I heard Jesus say
"Be very afraid'

Happy New Year!

[juzcuz]

07:56 PM on 12/31/2010

Christ's teachings were all about not being afraid and loving UNconditionally; happy new year to you - even though we don't think alike.

[Ventoi]

08:48 PM on 12/31/2010

'Set 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide.'

I figure Jesus was hung on the cross or whatnot...several times...and recurred...there is a learning curve of course...and your innate nature will continue being nice...maybe your spirit after a death on a cross holding and feeling and hearing the sins of the world living and loving with your body...unconditionally...would write it differently than a group of men who denied knowing you to avoid death themselves.

[Ventoi]

05:29 PM on 12/31/2010

I will write my thoughts on the colour and shape symbolism in St. Basils later.
I have said enough for now.
Think.

[Ventoi]

05:27 PM on 12/31/2010

I pity Jesus.
If God were not in heaven..and could feel or think or do anything the way we here on earth do...
he would pity Jesus also.
It occurred to me the othe day that he most likely has no real concept of what it is like to be here...PAST Jesus complaining about how we are using him for salvation...
who we are...and where we are making him hurt.

[Billy Fritts]

04:01 PM on 12/31/2010

Theres only one salvation--That is in Jesus Christ--It is not a religion--Jesus gave his life on the cross that we might have life for eternity--Praise God--

[juzcuz]

07:52 PM on 12/31/2010

Not the skin, bones & blood of Jesus but Christ's teachings are our salvation. Jesus died on the cross to show us that life is eternal. Do you praise your god or OUR God?

[Lou77777]

07:54 PM on 12/31/2010

Yes only one message we need to hear. Jesus is Lord. He came to save the sinner but the next time it will be to judge the world. Get right now with God. He accepts all who turn to Him. No one will be turned away. But when that day of judgement comes it will be to late to change your mind. Don't wait, today is the appointed time for you. You are reading this. Why have you read this far?

Turn from your poor life choices to Jesus. God is truth. The Son of the Most High, Jesus is the substitute for you. He died a terrible death that you might find life and life in abundance. Not the abundance of things but of the Spirit. We are the ones who accept Jesus. By our faith in trusting Jesus we are found to be righteous in the sight of God. Not by anything we have done good but in our faith trusting in Jesus. What are you waiting for?

God Bless you

[juzcuz]

08:00 PM on 12/31/2010

UNcondtional love is the answer not bigotry and judgmentalism.