Did you know that not all cultures and countries celebrate the New Year as beginning on January 1? In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the civil New Year falls on 14 January on the modern Gregorian calendar,  which is January 1 on the older Julian calendar.

Chinese New Year occurs on the new moon of the first lunar month, which could fall anywhere between January 21 and February 21 on the Gregorian calendar. Iranian New Year (called Nowruz) is the day of the vernal or spring equinox, typically 20-21 March.

The Ancient Babylonians celebrated the first new moon following the spring equinox as the beginning of the new year. Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday occurring in July on the Gregorian calendar, commemorating the culmination of the seven days of Creation, and marking God’s yearly renewal of His world.

There are many, many more…