New Year's Day is the first day of the year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome (though other dates were also used in Rome). In all countries except for Israel using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, it is a public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts. January 1 on the Julian calendar corresponds to January 14 on the Gregorian calendar, and it is on that date that followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year. In Western Christianity New Year's Day, January 1, is the eighth day of Christmas.

January 1 marks the end of a period of remembrance of a particular passing year, especially on radio, television and in newspapers, which usually starts right after thanksgiving. Publications often have year-end articles that review the changes during the previous year. Common topics include politics, natural disasters, music and the arts and the listing of significant individuals who died during the past year. Often there are also articles on planned or expected changes in the coming year, such as the description of new laws that often take effect on January 1.

(... from Wikipedia on 2010-03-05 09:38:07 )