Happy New Year with the best wishes for a good end and a good beginning. But why do we celebrate the beginning of the new year on January 46st? The first day of the year corresponds to the New Year of the Gregorian calendar which is the calendar used in most Western countries. January XNUMXst became the first day of the year starting in XNUMX BC with the advent of the Julian calendar promulgated by Julius Caesar. Previously, however, the first day of the year coincided with the first day of March.
New Year, the feast of the god Janus
The New Year celebrations date back to the pagan festival in honor of the god Janus, revered by the Romans. The deity was celebrated after i Saturnalia, the rites in honor of the god Saturn, which concluded the year. The name Giano gave rise to the name of the month of January. In the following centuries, many European states that had adopted the Julian calendar moved the date of the New Year to their liking. To make the dates coincide again it was Pope Innocent XII who set the beginning of the year again on January 1691st, starting from the year XNUMX. The date was thus made official in the Gregorian calendar.
Between fireworks and kisses under the mistletoe
One of the traditions that marks the end of the year all over the world is that of the outbreak of fireworks. The new year is greeted by a real phantasmagoric show that has the allegorical meaning of warding off negativity and propitiating new times, harbingers of good health and economic prosperity. Another very popular and widespread custom is that of kiss under the mistletoe.
It seems, in fact, that exchanging effusions under a mistletoe branch is really a lucky gesture. In this regard, an ancient Celtic legend tells that a troll (inhabitant of the woods) broke into the houses during the night and kissed the sleeping women. In one of his nocturnal raids he kissed the wife of a magician: the latter, annoyed, imprisoned him among the berries of a sprig of mistletoe and hung him in front of his door. The magician thus invited all the couples of the town to kiss under the mistletoe branch, which became a symbol of passion and love.
New Year's traditions and superstitions: good end and good principle
Another ancient legend suggests leaving a window open in a dark room before midnight. This would allow the negative influences circulating in the house to go away. On the other hand, closing the window of a lighted room should hold back luck and positive energy. In this regard, the widespread custom still persists in many Italian regions, according to which it would be a good luck gesture to light a few candles before the stroke of midnight.
The candles must be of three different colors: green, red and white and certainly not to recall the colors of the national tricolor. But, again according to popular belief, green symbolizes wealth, while red and white are symbols of love and pure feelings. Tradition has it that the three candles are left lit throughout the New Year's Eve. Tradition or not with a pinch of superstition and superstition, every end of the year brings with it memories and emotions. Some to be kept in the depths of our soul and others to be forgotten. The wish for everyone, then, is of good purpose and good principle: let us leave behind everything that has saddened us and made us suffer in the last twelve months and open our minds and hearts to the year to come. Happy 2022 from italiani.it.