Around the globe, people are bidding farewell to the past year and embracing a fresh chapter filled with hope, dreams, and possibilities. From dazzling fireworks lighting up iconic skylines to heartfelt resolutions being made in quiet corners, the arrival of 2025 marks a moment of reflection and renewal. People across the world thronged historic places, resorts, hill stations and special events to ring in the New Year.
Indian Cities Bustle with Revellers
The national capital of Delhi wore a festive look as the people switched into a celebratory mood to welcome the New Year. The police took precautionary measures to control traffic and prevent untoward incidents. In Mumbai, people thronged the Marine Drive and other landmark places. In Bengaluru, the police have sounded high alert all over the city. Special focus was placed on security arrangements in Silicon City. To ring in the New Year, over seven lakh footfalls are expected this time and the home department sent instructions to Bengaluru Police to take precautions to prevent any untoward incidents. New Year celebrations are allowed for the public till 1 am and 11,830 personnel, including police, home guards and civil defence personnel have been deployed across the city.
PM Modi Greets Nation
PM Modi extended New Year to aspirational India in a poetic style. He recounted the remarkable progress and transformation achieved in 2024. The PM’s New Year post also carried a 2.41-minute video animation clip depicting the achievements made in an eventful 2024. The milestones depicted in the video included the country’s space launches, super-computing, a boost in defence manufacturing, growth in the aviation industry, and infra marvels like the underwater Howrah Maidan Metro, Rameswaram rail bridge, and Vande Bharat rail. The video also highlighted increased medical colleges and improved health facilities for the public, the Atal Pension scheme, PM Awas, the first temple in Abu Dhabi, and the introduction of the three new criminal laws.
Kiribati Ushers in New Year
The tiny island nation of Kiribati took the lead, becoming the first to welcome the New Year. Kiritimati Island, also known as Christmas Island, located in the central Pacific Ocean, marks the dawn of January 1, 2025, as clocks struck midnight there earlier today.
The island is precisely 8.5 hours ahead of India and 14 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. So when India clocked 3.30 pm today (Dec 31 2024), it was midnight, Wednesday, Jan 1, 2025, in Kiritimati. This momentous occasion in Kiribati signifies the beginning of the global New Year celebrations, as the island nation marks the very first moments of 2025, long before the rest of the world follows suit.
Sydney city of Australia burst into celebration with the early spectacle of the extravagant fireworks across the Harbour Bridge. The epic 9 PM fireworks have already begun in Sydney. The over 9 tonnes of fireworks, one of the most extravagant spectacles are expected to draw an estimated one million people to witness the grand welcome to the new year.
The History of New Year's Celebration
Around 4,000 years ago Babylonians celebrated the new year during the first new moon in late March after the vernal equinox the day with an equal amount of darkness and sunlight. 2000 B.C. the new year was celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox, in mid-March, in Mesopotamia. Today, most New Year’s celebrations start on New Year’s Eve, December 31, the final day of the year on the Gregorian calendar, and continue through New Year’s Day on January 1.
Why Jan 1 was Considered New Year?
The early Roman calendar had 10 months and 304 days, with each new year beginning at the spring equinox; it was devised in the ninth century B.C. by Romulus, the founder of Rome. Numa Pompilius, a later king, is credited for adding the months of Januarius and Februarius.
The calendar became out of sync with the sun over the years, and Julius Caesar sought to address the problem in 46 B.C. by consulting with the most distinguished astronomers and mathematicians of his time. He established the Julian calendar, which roughly matches the more current Gregorian calendar that most countries throughout the world use today.
Caesar adopted January 1 as the first day of the year as part of his reform, partially to honour the month's namesake: Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces permitted him to look back in time and forward in time. Romans celebrated by making sacrifices to Janus, exchanging presents, decorating their homes with laurel branches, and throwing wild parties.
In medieval Europe, Christian leaders temporarily replaced January 1 as the first day of the year with more religiously significant days such as December 25 (the anniversary of Jesus' birth) and March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation); It wasn't until Pope Gregory changed the Julian calendar and established January 1st as the first day of a new year or New Year's day in 1582, that it became widely accepted.
While January 1st is the most widely recognized New Year’s celebration, there is a world of diversity in how different cultures mark the beginning of a new year. Embracing these diverse customs not only fosters cultural appreciation but also deepens our understanding of the shared human experience – a key pillar of localization.
As 2024 comes to a close today, the Exp 72 crew will see 16 sunrises and sunsets while soaring into the New Year. Seen here are several sunsets pictured over the years from the orbital outpost. pic.twitter.com/DdlvSCoKo1
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 31, 2024
The Significance of New Year’s Celebrations
Around the world, the beginning of a new year symbolises a fresh start and a sense of hope, encouraging people to set goals and seize new opportunities. The new year is a perfect time to make a change for the better. The tradition of making New Year's resolutions is more common in the Western Hemisphere but also exists in the Eastern Hemisphere. This tradition involves a person making a commitment to change an unwanted habit or behaviour or setting a personal objective. Typical New Year's resolutions might be to give up smoking, eat healthier food, do more exercise, become more organised or laugh more –a New Year's resolution can be almost anything.
Assam CM greets people on New Year's Eve
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday greeted the people of the state on the eve of New Year 2025. He hoped that the New Year would inspire people to contribute to the growth of the state.
''A new year is always an occasion which generates new hopes and aspirations. The New Year 2025 will also inspire people of the state belonging to all castes, creeds, languages and religions to go forward and contribute to the growth of the state," Sarma said in a statement.
Kerala Governor, CM greet people on New Year's Eve
The outgoing Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V D Satheeshan greeted the people of the state on the eve of the new year. In his message, the Governor extended his warmest wishes to the people of Kerala and Keralites around the globe for a joyful and prosperous new year.
"I sincerely wish that the year 2025 strengthens our unity and sense of security, and inspires harmony in thoughts and actions, paving the way for the greater progress and prosperity of our beloved state," he said. (with agency inputs)
