Beginning of a new year

January 1st marks the end of a period of remembrance of a particular passing year, especially on radio, television, and in newspapers, which usually starts right after Christmas Day. Publications often have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. Common topics include politics, natural disasters, music and the arts, and the listing of significant individuals who died during the past year.

Often there are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year, such as the description of new laws that often take effect on January 1st.This day is traditionally a religious feast, but since the 1900s has become an occasion for celebration on the night of December 31st, called New Year's Eve.

There are often fireworks at midnight.Depending on the country, individuals may be allowed to burn fireworks, even if it is forbidden the rest of the year. It is also a memorable occasion to make New Year's resolutions, which they hope to fulfil in the coming year; the most popular ones include not smoking or drinking, losing weight or getting physically fit.

Originally observed on March 15th in the old Roman Calendar, New Year's Day first came to be fixed at January 1st in 153 BC, when the two Roman consuls, after whom - in the Roman calendar - years were named and numbered, began to be chosen on that date, for military reasons.

However in AD 525, Dionysius Exiguus set the start of the Julian calendar at March 25th to commemorate the Annunciation of Jesus; a variety of Christian feast dates were used throughout the Middle Ages to mark the New Year, while calendars often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December in the Roman fashion.

[email protected]