沙米·西瓦苏布拉马尼亚姆

For the most part， the world runs on the Gregorian calendar， with 365 days， or 12 months in a year， and leap years to boot. The year ends on December 31 and begins on January 1， New Year’s Day.

But there are several cultures that also celebrate New Year’s Day later in the year. These cultures follow lunar， solar， and other hybrid calendars to tell time.

Chinese New Year

Also called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year， Chinese New Year signifies the beginning of the spring harvest season. Red envelopes filled with money are presented to family and friends， and typical sweet treats are enjoyed by all. Colourful dragons and lantern displays can be seen around the world on this day.

Seollal （South Korean New Year）

Several south-east Asian cultures celebrate New Year’s Day on the Lunar New Year. But the way each subculture commemorates the day differs. In South Korea， New Year’s marks a three-day holiday where families give thanks to a bountiful year past. Many dress up in colourful attire called hanbok， whilst others perform an ancient tea offering ritual called charye.

Nyepi （Balinese New Year）

Balinese New Year marks the first day of the lunar-based Saka Calendar， which is followed by Balinese and Javanese cultures. Unlike other cultures that welcome the new year with fanfare， Nyepi is a day of self-reflection and rest. Most of the island is closed on this day， with the exception of hospital emergency wards. New Year’s Eve， however， is celebrated with large fire rituals throughout the city.

Nowruz （Iranian New Year）

Also celebrating the commencement of Spring， Nowruz is celebrated by both Zoroastrian and Baha’i communities. The date itself coincides with the Northward Equinox， which falls in mid-March each year. The day typically celebrated with trumpets to herald the new year， coloured eggs and pots of sprouting grains to signify growth， a hearty bowl of Ash-e Reshteh noodle soup1， and most famously， with a good spring cleaning.

Ugadi （Telugu and Kannada New Year）

The southern Indian states of Karnataka， Telangana， and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Ugadhi according to their lunar-based calendar. The day is celebrated with sweets， fireworks， and new clothes. Most notable snack is the Ugadi pachadi， a mango sweet and sour chutney consumed either as a side dish or on its own. Gudi Padwa （in Maharashtra） and Cheti Chand （in Sindhi-speaking Indian communities） New Year’s festivities also fall on this day.

Aluth Avurudda （Sinhalese New Year）

Though Aluth Avurudda is a Sinhalese festival， it coincides with Tamil New Years and is celebrated by most people in Sri Lanka. Unlike other cultures， whose New Year’s Day welcomes harvest， Aluth Avurudda marks the end of the harvest season. It also coincides with one of two instances when the sun is directly above Sri Lanka. Locals celebrate the day by opening their front doors to encourage visits by family， friends， and even strangers. The preparation of small oil cakes called kavum， and several tropical plantain dishes are popular at this time， too.

Puthandu （Tamil New Year）

Puthandu celebrated annually on April 14， follows the solar calendar. The day is celebrated with new clothes， music， sweets， and rice flour kolams （street art） at the front of homes. Puthandu is celebrated predominantly in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in Sri Lanka. However other Tamil Diasporas in Malaysia and Singapore also celebrate the holiday.

Diwali （Marwari and Gujarati New Year）

Diwali， the Festival of Lights， is celebrated by Hindu， Sikhs， and Jains the world over. However for Marwari and Gujarati communities in North India， Diwali marks the start of their new year. These communities， who made up the prominent mercantile and entrepreneurial classes of Ancient India， celebrate the day by giving thanks to Lakshmi， the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Rosh Hashanah （Jewish New Year）

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day holiday commemorating the end of the seven days of Creation from the Book of Genesis. The festival includes rituals that are both performed with fanfare and with quiet introspection. According to Jewish religion， in the days following the creation of the universe God was yet to determine the fate of mankind. Hence， through quiet observance Jewish people believe to allow God to decide their fate for the following year. Honey and apple are common additives in food around this time， with sweetness signifying positivity and all things good.

Raʼs al-Sanah al-Hijrīyah （Islamic New Year）

Islamic New Year marks the first day of Muharram， the first month of the Muslim Calendar. It celebrates emigration of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina， known as Hijra2. What makes this New Year’s Day most unique is that according to the Muslim Calendar each day begins at sunset， with the New Year itself ushered by the first sighting of the moon. The holiday is celebrated by Muslims the world over， though not with the same excitability associated with Eid.

Aboriginal Murador New Year

The Western Australian Aboriginal tribe of Murador celebrated New Year’s Day on what coincides with October 30 in the Gregorian calendar. An important day in the tribe’s calendar， it marked a time for friendship， reconciliation， and giving thanks to the year gone by. The Murador people are now an extinct tribe， though their culture lives on in artifacts and text.

世界上的大部分国家和地区采用公历，一年有365天， 12个月，循环往复。每年结束于12月31日，开始于1月1日，即新年。

然而也有一些文化在一年中的其他时间庆祝新年。这些文化使用农历、太阳历或其他混合历法来计时。

中国新年

中国新年，又称春节或农历新年，意味着春天收获季节的开始。人们向亲朋好友送塞上钱的红包，大家一起享用传统甜食。这一天，在世界各地都可以看到多姿多彩的舞龙表演和灯展。

韩国春节（韩国新年）

一些东南亚文化也庆祝农历新年，只是采取了各自不同的节庆形式。在韩国，新年庆祝活动持续三天，这期间，人们感恩过去一年的慷慨赐予。很多人会穿上五彩缤纷的韩服，有些人则用一种名为茶艺的传统饮茶仪式来庆祝新年。

静居节（巴厘新年）

巴厘文化和爪哇文化使用以阴历为基础的萨卡历，历法中的第一天即为巴厘新年。不像其他文化那样用精彩纷呈的活动迎接新的一年，静居节是自我反省和静修的日子。除了医院急诊外，岛上的大多数机构都会关闭。不过在新年前夜，全市会举行盛大的火礼，以示庆祝。

诺鲁兹节（伊朗新年）

琐罗亚斯德教徒和巴哈伊教徒都用诺鲁兹节来庆祝春天的开始。这个节日与北半球春分日重合，通常在每年3月中旬。在这一天，人们吹奏喇叭预告新年来临，用彩蛋和一罐罐发芽的谷物代表万物生长，并食用丰盛的阿西莱西汤面，当然还有最著名的春季大扫除。

乌贾迪节（泰卢固人和卡纳达人新年）

印度南部的卡納塔克邦、特兰加纳邦和安得拉邦根据他们特有的阴历庆祝乌贾迪节。人们吃甜品，放烟花，穿新衣，以此庆祝这一天的到来。用芒果做的乌贾迪帕卡迪是最有名的节日甜点;人们还会食用酸辣酱，既可以配主菜，也可以单独吃。古迪帕得瓦节（流行于马哈拉施特拉邦）和切蒂昌德节（流行于使用信德语的印度群体）也在这一天开展他们的新年庆祝活动。

阿鲁特阿布鲁达节（僧伽罗人新年）

虽然阿鲁特阿布鲁达是僧伽罗节日，但它与泰米尔人新年重合，大多数斯里兰卡人在这一天庆祝新年。不像其他文化那样用新年庆祝收获季节的开始，阿鲁特阿布鲁达代表的是收获季节的结束。一年当中太阳有两天直射斯里兰卡，这个节日与其中一天重合。当地人在这一天打开正门，欢迎亲戚朋友甚至是陌生人的来访。他们会制作一种叫作卡布姆的小油糕来庆祝这个节日，一些热带大蕉类菜肴也很流行。

普特汉度节（泰米尔人新年）

阳历每年4月14日是普特汉度节。人们穿新衣，听音乐，吃甜点，并在家门口用米粉画古拉姆（一种街头艺术）图案，以示庆祝。普特汉度节盛行于南印度泰米尔纳德邦以及斯里兰卡。散居在马来西亚和新加坡的泰米尔人也会庆祝这个节日。

排灯节（马尔瓦尔人和古吉拉特人新年）

世界各地的印度教徒、锡克教徒和耆那教徒都庆祝排灯节，又称万灯节。然而，对于北印度的马尔瓦尔人和古吉拉特人来说，排灯节标志着新年的开始。这些群体主要来自古印度时期的商人和企业家阶层，他们在这一天感恩财富女神拉克希米的保佑。

吹角节（犹太新年）

吹角节历时两天，用以庆祝《圣经·创世记》所记述的创世七日的结束。这一节日的庆祝形式既有热闹的活动，也包含静思反省。根据犹太教义，上帝创造宇宙后，一时尚未决定人类的命运。因此，犹太人认为，安静地庆祝可以让上帝好好决定他们来年的命运。常见的节日食品有蜂蜜和苹果，它们的甜蜜滋味代表着一切积极和美好的事物。

希吉来的拉斯撒那节（伊斯兰新年）

伊斯兰新年是穆斯林历法首月穆哈拉姆月的第一天，纪念先知穆罕默德从麦加迁移到麦地那，称为“希吉来”。这一节日最独特之处在于，穆斯林历法以太阳落山作为一日之始，新年则始于当日的第一缕月光。全世界的穆斯林都会庆祝这一节日，但其热闹程度不及宰牲节。

穆拉朵土著新年

西澳大利亚土著部落穆拉朵人在公历每年10月30日庆祝新年。这一日对该部落十分重要，是传递友谊、和解及向过去一年感恩的时刻。穆拉朵部落现已灭绝，不过他们的文化还能在一些艺术品和文字记载中存续。