Time — New Year

by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Universal

• January 1 is usually accepted as “New Year’s Day”.
• Some countries celebrate it as a holiday.
• December 31 is “New Year’s Eve”.
• Some sing “Auld Lang Syne” to usher in the New Year.

Old Calendars

• The old Roman Calendar has only 10 months starting with March
  So, March signified the New Year
• Some civilizations celebrate Vernal equinox or First Day of Spring
  e.g. Persian New Year
  So, the New Year will fall around 20th – 22nd March

Lunar New Year

• Falls around end of January or beginning of February
• Celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese

Luni-solar New Year

• Falls in mid-April
• Celebrated by Burmese / Myanmar, Thai, Cambodia, Laos
• Burmese New Year follows Thingyan (which means change)
  Maha Thingyan means Great Change (from one year to the next).
  Cula Thingyan means Small Change (from one month/yathi to another month/yathi)
• 3 or 4 days of Thingyan (also known as Water Throwing Festival)

Miscellaneous

• New Year of the indigenous people
  e.g. Karen New Year