New Year’s Day, a time of reflection and renewal for people around the world, is Wednesday, Jan. 1.
The celebration of a new year is a custom that can be traced to ancient civilizations, although the date often varied. The Julian calendar established Jan. 1 as the start of the new year, a practice that continued when the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582.
Through the centuries, New Year’s Day became a time for social gatherings and feasts, although it didn’t become a federal holiday in the United States until 1870.
Today, the holiday is marked by the Times Square ball drop in New York City, a tradition that began in 1907; parades; football games; and the making of resolutions.
The Postal Service released a Baby New Year stamp in 1999 to mark the arrival of the new century, and the organization has a long history of releasing stamps to celebrate the Lunar New Year, an important holiday in many Asian communities. Most Lunar New Years are celebrated in late January or early February.
