Talk — New Year

by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on December 17, 2020

New Year’s Eve on December 31
Bringing in the New Year (with celebration)
Dropping the Ball in Times Square in New York
New Year on January 1
Holiday in some countries
January is named as after Janus (Two faced God)
Symbolically, one face looks back at the outgoing year and another face looks at the incoming year
In the early days, Burma celebrated January 1 as “Peasants’ Day“
Later, Peasants’ Day was moved to March 2

Old Roman Calendar starts with March.
Persian New Year falls on or around March 21
“First Day of Spring” celebrations
Myanmar celebrate Thingyan on or around April 13 for three (or four) days. Myanmar New Year follows Thingyan.
Thailand celebrate Songkram (equivalent of Thingyan)
Both words derive from Pali and Sanskrit words meaning “Change”.
Cula Thingyan (Small Change) occurs every month when the Sun in the Geocentric model moves to another Zodiac Sign.
Maha Thingyan (Big Change) occurs every year when the Sun has moved through all twelve signs.
Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) around the end of January or the start of February.
Vietnamese celebrate Tet (equivalent of Chinese New Year)
Festivities may last a week (or more)
Karen New Year (ကရင် နှစ်သစ်ကူး)
Special events
New Year in 2000 (to usher the New Millennium)

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