What do we mark on New Year's Eve? This is not as simple a question as it seems. Time is above all a relative magnitude. People have created calendars so they can measure it. But it is ephemeral and can not be captured and marked as a starting point, ABC Fact editors write.
Some history
Most countries around the world live according to the Gregorian calendar. It was put into use on 4 October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII in exchange for the Julian. The difference between these two calendars is already 13 days and increases by 3 days every 400 years.
It is precisely according to the Gregorian calendar on January 1 to mark the onset of 2018.
In Thailand, however, it will be 2561. Officially, Thailand lives according to the Buddhist lunar calendar, where the chronology dates back to the finding of Nirvana by the Buddha. According to the Buddhist calendar, they also live in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
The Ethiopian calendar is about 8 years after us. It contains 13 months, 12 of which are 30 days, and the last one is the 13th month is very short - 5 or 6 days, depending on whether it is a leap year or not. The day begins there not at midnight, but with the sunrise. The Ethiopian calendar is based on the ancient Alexandrian calendar.
The Jewish calendar is officially used in Israel along with the Gregorian calendar. According to this calendar, Jewish holidays, memorial days and birthdays of relatives are celebrated. The months in this calendar are based on the new moon. And the first day of the year (Rosh Hashana) can only happen on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. And for Roche Hashana to fall on a reasonable day of the week, the previous year is extended by one day, if necessary. The Jewish calendar begins its countdown from the first new moon, which appeared on Monday, October 7, 3761 BC. in 5 hours and 204 parts. The time in the Hebrew calendar consists of 1080 parts and each part consists of 76 moments.
The Islamic calendar is used to determine the dates of religious holidays and as an official calendar in some Muslim countries. Chronology dates back to the relocation of the Prophet Mohammed and the first Muslims from Mecca to Medina (622 BC). The day in this calendar starts at sunset, not at midnight. The beginning of the month begins with the appearance of the first crescent after a new moon. The length of the year in the Islamic calendar is 10-11 days shorter than the solar year and the months do not match the seasons. The summer months after a while will be winter and back.
The Iranian calendar or Sun Hidra is the official calendar in Iran and Afghanistan. This astronomical solar calendar was developed by Omar Khayam. The chronology is similar to the Islamic calendar, but it is also based on the sunny year, so its months always fall at the same time every year. The week in the Iranian calendar begins on Saturday and ends on Friday, which is considered a day off.
India's single national calendar was developed relatively recently and was adopted in 1957. The basis of its calculations is the era of Shaka, an ancient chronological system commonly found in India and Cambodia. In India there are other calendars used by different nationalities and tribes. Some take as a reference the date of Krsna's death (3102 BC), others - the coming of power to Vikram in 57 years, and others began the chronology since the death of Gautama Buddha (543 BC . no.).
In Japan there is a chronological system of the birth of Christ and a traditional one based on the years of rule of the Japanese emperors. Each emperor gives his name to the age in which he reigns. Since 1989, when Emperor Akihito ascended to the throne, Japan is in the age of "peace and tranquility." The previous epoch, which lasted 64 years, is the "enlightened world". In most official documents, it is customary to use 2 dates - according to the Gregorian calendar and the current age of Japan.
The Chinese calendar is used in Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam and other Asian countries. The chronology in it is governed by the coming of power of Emperor Huang Di in 2637 BC. The calendar is cyclical and relies on Jupiter's astronomical cycles. For 60 years Jupiter has surrounded the sun five times - these are the five elements of the Chinese calendar. A Jupiter tour around the Sun lasts for 12 years - those years in the calendar get animal names. In 2018 (according to the Gregorian calendar), China will be the year of the Dog.
The drooping calendar has been used in the DPRK since July 8, 1997, along with the Gregorian calendar. The starting point is Kim Il Sun's birth year in 1912 - the founder of the North Korean state, the eternal president of North Korea. The year of his birth is the first year in this calendar. When the dates are written in DPRK, both chronologies are used, with the year in the Gregorian calendar marked in parentheses up to date in the crash calendar.
Not only time is measured in different ways. Age of man - also. In many cultures in East Asia people determine their age according to the East Asian system. Ie. with his birth a person is already 1 year old and a birthday is celebrated with the advent of the new year. According to this system, with the New Year bells, the whole family, gathered at the festive table, celebrates both birthdays.
So Happy New Year, steamers!