It's time to say 'Happy New Year' to all. A significant year goes by in the same manner as it was in the earlier year. Just another day in the calendar with hardly any pause in the movement of this universe, hardly any silence observed in the passing by of these twelve months yet something is there that installs in us a feeling of 'Feel New'. As Thomas Mann has said "Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols". This newness intertwines into the very fabric of our mindset and thus sets the festive mood to flow in.

The celebrations of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. Though different countries with different culture have their own way of celebrating this newness but never ever the newer waves passed without a celebration. The beginning of a new year is marked by celebrations big or small and this joyous mood dominates all kinds of inquisitiveness, and superstitions whatsoever. Man gets possessed with great zest and this jovial spirit carries him to a state of forgetfulness (some moments suspension of his otherwise agitating mind). But man with his inquisitive mind will never rest at peace. As Albert Einstein quoted: "The important thing is not to stop questioning." He may find himself in an arena where he is seen reflecting on the bygone days and making a firm resolution to have a fresher perspective on the coming moments.

Explorations and new discoveries have but made man awestruck. In the midst of all these great innovations the origin of a thing, may it be a concept or living object, sometimes stands the need of an answer. His eagerness or we can say his tendency to know may pinch him at times till he gets a definite answer and thus the search begins, not for something new but for our very new year, its beginning and its course of evolution.

The New Year day and its practices had begun from time immemorial. Earlier January 1 was not accepted as a New Year date due to ethnic and cultural diversity. Only within the past four hundred years this date got an acceptance worldwide. The grand old civilization of mankind has a long history to relate. That man and his celebration of New Year has some prehistoric root is beyond doubt.

The earliest recording of New Year celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamian culture in about 2000 BC when the people of Babylon observed it at the time of vernal equinox in mid-March. Although Babylonians had no written calendar there may be some logic behind it while selecting this date. Most probably it's the blossoming time when new crops are planted and spring time breeze overflows the vales. But January 1 has no significance from agricultural or astronomical point of view. The Romans had initially celebrated the New Year on March 1 and it had only ten months starting from March. But this date was continuously tampered by various emperors. Again in the medieval period pagan festivals were given much importance and March 25 came to be regarded as the beginning of a new year as they considered it as the annunciation day. King of England thought of keeping December 25 as the New Year day.

To set the calendar right the Roman senate in 153 BC declared January 1 as the New Year day but set the year's completion at 355 days. The calendar was later attributed with the month of January and February by Numa Pontilius, the second Roman king but the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. Unfortunately in the calendar an extra 90 days were added to 46 BC in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun thus making it the longest year ever with 445 days. Again sometimes later some more modifications were made in 46 BC.

The then Roman senate led by Julius Caesar introduced Julian calendar which came into force in 45 BC making the year's completion at 365 days. It was chosen after consultation with the Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes. The month of January was named after god Janus of gates and doors - whom the Romans worshipped (an ancient god with two faces, one is behind and the other looking forward). It signifies the way we reflect on the year gone by and the manner we look forward to the new. People learned January as the first month of the year and with it began the tradition of following Julian calendar. This calendar had 365 days divided into 12 months with a leap day added to February every four years, so the counting goes as such the Julian year is 365.25 days on an average. It is based on the solar system whereas the previous calendar was based on lunar cycle.

It was in vogue in some countries till the 20th century and was even regarded as a national calendar until it was finally replaced by Gregorian calendar. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII abandoned the Julian calendar to replace it with a Gregorian calendar. At least 500 years passed until this calendar came into vogue with January 1 being firmly recognized as the New Year date and with a leap year after every four years. It is said that this leap year signifies a balance between seasons and calendar.

Irregularity in length is seen in the Gregorian calendar which is divided into 12 months with no regular relationship lengthwise. This calendar is now the internationally acclaimed civil calendar. The Julian calendar came to be known as Old Style (OS) and the Gregorian calendar as the New Style (NS). Thus man's inquisitive mind gets an answer though his quest is only temporarily satisfied. Discoveries only push us to some more discoveries hidden underneath. Man's mind wants to unearth all. With our limited historical resources man's mind has to be but at peace.

At some point of the time the twelve months at which completion the New Year comes may also pose some questions in man's mind regarding the sources of its current names. It needs to be mentioned that the months got its name from various roman and Greek goddesses. As January is named after roman god Janus, so also the different months of the year are named after different deities; February after Februa, the Roman goddess of passion and love; March after Mars, the Roman god of war; the beautiful spring time of April has got its name from Greek goddess Aphrodite; May month has its derivation from Greek goddess of spring Maia; June being named after Roman goddess Juno; July is from the Roman emperor Julius Caesar, as a mark of honour it was named after him. The month of August has its name evolved from the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. September had its name from Pomona the Roman goddess of fruit and the term October is derived from Greek goddess Astraea. November had its roots from the festival of Samhain (all saints), and finally cold wintry month of December got its name from Decima, the Greek goddess who personifies the present.

Histories provide us with relevant sources of information about its presence till the present. It only needs a mind to unravel the circumstances undergoing that particular object or event in giving it the final form. The onus lies in us in turning this New Year celebration into a kind of resolution by cooperating with our fellow human beings to make this world a safer and a better place to live in.