Kathmandu, 1st January: According to the Gregorian calendar, the new year 2025 AD has begun today. It is believed that the Christian era began with the execution of Jesus Christ. Since Pope Gregorian replaced the Julian calendar with the current calendar, it is called the Gregorian New Year. New Year is a celebration marking the beginning of a new calendar year. It is a global event observed with diverse traditions and festivities, reflecting cultural, religious, and regional practices. Here’s an overview:
Significance
- Calendar Reset: New Year represents the transition from one year to the next in the Gregorian calendar, celebrated on January 1.
- Reflection and Resolutions: It’s a time for individuals to reflect on the past year, set goals, and make resolutions for personal and professional growth.
Global Celebrations
- Countdown and Fireworks: Iconic cities like Sydney, New York, and Dubai host grand fireworks and countdowns to midnight.
- Traditions: Many cultures have unique rituals, such as eating 12 grapes for good luck in Spain, or making a lot of noise to ward off evil spirits in various Asian countries.
- Family and Friends: Gatherings, parties, and feasts are common, fostering a spirit of togetherness and hope.
Cultural Variations
- Lunar and Regional New Years: Not all cultures follow the Gregorian calendar. For instance, Chinese New Year, Nepali New Year (Bikram Sambat), and others occur on different dates and are celebrated with distinct customs.
- Religious Significance: Some traditions tie New Year to spiritual practices, like attending church or temple to pray for blessings.
Symbolism
- New Beginnings: The New Year symbolizes a fresh start, encouraging people to embrace positive changes.
- Unity and Optimism: It’s a time for expressing goodwill, wishing others prosperity, health, and happiness.
12th National Costume and Cap Day being celebrated
The 12th National Dress and Topi Day is being celebrated today by organizing various programs under the organization of Jagruk Yuva Abhiyan Nepal. The youth are celebrating the day with the slogan ‘Nepali Topi: Our Identity’. National Dress and Topi Day has been celebrated since 1 January 2014 to establish the Nepali identity of the Daura, Suruwal, Topi and Gunyu Choli among the youth.
On the occasion of the day, many people have been posting pictures of themselves wearing national costumes on social media. The number of people wearing national costumes on the roads and public transport has also been increasing. National Costume Day was started to be celebrated on January 1st twelve years ago. Since the day was started, the number of youth wearing national costumes on January 1st as well as on cultural festivals like weddings and bratbandha has started to increase.
The national costume, which has been forgotten by Nepali youth, is being revived. After the formal removal of the national costume, the youth have become aware and started this campaign. On this occasion, a special program has been organized in the Patan Durbar area today. It is said that Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey and others will participate in the program.
