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On Jan. 23rd 2012 China marked the year 4708, The Year of the Dragon. Many countries celebrate the change from one year to the next on December 31st. But did you know that there are many different dates of the year when different countries celebrate New Years? The Western New Years tradition is based on the Gregorian calendar that started in Venice in 1522. It spread to the Roman Empire in 1544, and was accepted by the British Empire in 1752. But there are other calendars being used to this day and other dates for New Years celebrations and for different year counts!
In the USA, New Years begins with lively New Years Eve parties on the night of Dec. 31 and ends New Years Day Jan 1 with sleepy-eyed people watching vast parades and football games from all across the country on TV. In Europe they also party long into the morning hours and tons of fireworks from public and private gatherings are shot into the midnight sky. In South America the city of Rio De Janeiro puts on what is said to be the world's largest fireworks display.
The Chinese New Year will start on Jan 23, 2012 and end on Feb. 9. The Chinese will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon 4708. It ends with the Lantern Festival where thousands of lighter-than-air rice paper lanterns fill the skies and huge paper dragons are carried in parades through the city streets.
The Persian New Year (Iran, Turkey, Northern Iraq, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan) is called Noruz and celebrates 2 different year counts, 1391 for the Islamic count and 2571 for the Kingdom count. It falls on the Spring Equinox March 21-22. But its roots stretch back thousands of years before this to the ancient Egyptians and is a feast of the first Spring Day of seed planting for the summer crops.
The Jewish New Year will not be held until September 16th. It will celebrate the year 5773 of the Hebrew Calendar and it is called Rosh Hashanah. This festival is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.
The Islamic New Year (most Arabic countries) comes from the Hijri lunar calendar. It falls on the first day of Muharram in early January, and will celebrated the 1433rd year since Muhammad entered the city of Medina.
India must hold the record for different New Years celebrations in a single country - it has 5 different New Years dates on its calendar, Ugadi, Gudi, Padwa, Puthandu, and Vishu. All 5 celebrations fall sometime in April and all will be celebrating the year 2069. Japan celebrates the New Year on December 31.
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