Why do we celebrate the beginning of the new year on January 1? We can thank Julius Caesar who in 45 BC proclaimed the Roman Empire would adopt the Julian Calendar, which identified January 1st as the beginning of the new year.

By the time Julius Caesar assumed office, it was clear the traditional lunar based Roman calendar in use since the seventh century BC no longer was sufficient. Caesar enlisted help from a renown Alexandrian astronomer who urged the adoption of a solar based calendar. He calculated the solar year as being 365.25 days. Caesar made the needed adjustments to the old traditional lunar based calendar and the Julian calendar was adopted.

Fast foreword to the Middle Ages. Because Caesar’s astronomer miscalculated the exact length of the solar year, by the mid 15th century the Julian calendar was 10 days off. This resulted in confusion about exactly when the new year should celebrated.

To fix the problem, Pope Gregory XIII commissioned Jesuit astronomer Christopher Clavius to develop a more accurate calendar.

In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was adopted. This calendar included the addition of a leap year every four years when one additional day is added to the month of February.

With the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, most countries in the world celebrate the New Year on January 1st.

New Year's Celebrations in the United States

While colonists in what would later become the United States knew January 1, was the start of the New Year, there was little celebration of the date. Vulgar displays of frivolity were not in keeping with the religious mores of many New World settlers.

On June 28,1870, New Year’s Day became one of four federally recognized holidays, joining Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

New Year’s celebrations as we know them today started on January 1st, 1907 when the first Ball was dropped in New York City’s Times Square. Ever since 1907, we say goodbye to the old year and celebrate the New Year in grand party fashion.

I’ll close this episode with my wish that your new year ahead is prosperous, healthy, and joyful.

Thanks for listening. In future episodes you’re going to learn about, "Get a Different Name Day", "Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day", International World Thinking Day", and loads more.

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This is your host Stephen Carter asking you to remember, this day is special and so are you. Let’s celebrate today and have some fun!