New Year history, wishing cards and quotes

1st January is known as New Year's Day. It is the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar.

It was the Romans who first celebrate 1st January  as the beginning of the year in 153 B.C.In pre-Christian Rome under the Julian calendar, the day was dedicated to Janus, god of gateways and beginnings, for whom January is also named. Prior to that March 25, the date of the vernal equinox, was celebrated as their New Year's Day. And this was considered to be the beginning of New Year by most Christian European countries during the early medieval era.

Catholic countries adopted it soon. Yet it took some time for the Protestants to follow suit. Finally Germany did adopt it in 1700, Great Britain in 1752, and Sweden in 1753. It was then necessary to drop 11 days from the calendar because 1700 had been a leap year.

The Oriental countries through the influence of religious groups such as the Hindus, Taoists, Buddhists and Moslems, considered the new Calendar as the Christian Calendar, but also adopted it as their official one. Japan welcomed it in 1873 and China in 1912.

New Year Wishing card 

Some quotes for New Year 2020

• Brad Paisley - "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one."
• John D. Rockefeller - "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."
• Meister Eckhart - "And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings."
• Nelson Mandela - It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
• Dan Millman - “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
• Ralph Waldo Emerson - "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
• Rainer Maria Rilke - "And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been."
• C.S. Lewis - "There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
• Benjamin Franklin - “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each year find you a better man.”
• Eleanor Roosevelt - “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
• John R. Dallas Jr. - "Each year's regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the new year."

In 2020, Wednesday is New Year's Day. Wishing you  Happy New Year.