Year-End Celebrations Around the World: A New Year Every Two Months

Discover how different cultures around the world celebrate the year-end with unique traditions, marking a new year every two months. From vibrant festivals to special customs, this exploration highlights the diverse ways various countries and communities welcome new beginnings throughout the year. Join us on a journey through fascinating year-end celebrations across the globe.

Lunar New Year celebrations, observed in countries such as China, Vietnam, and South Korea, are ushering in a new year on January 29. In China, this marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake. While January 1 is recognized as a public holiday, it pales in comparison to the grand Chinese New Year festivities, which span seven days or more. The Chinese experience two consecutive new years in a short period, and as illustrated by our chart, some regions celebrate a new year roughly every two months.

In July, Muslim nations celebrated the new year on the Islamic calendar. The year 1446 AH, which began on July 7, 2024, will run until approximately June 26, 2025, lasting 14 days less than the 366-day Gregorian year. The Saudi-set date is based on lunar cycle observations, and while many countries in the region follow this, others wait until they spot the new moon themselves, resulting in minor differences in when the holiday is observed.

Like the Islamic New Year, many regional new year celebrations follow lunar calendars, meaning their dates vary from year to year in relation to the Gregorian calendar, which is solar-based. As the Islamic year is notably shorter than the solar year, the Islamic New Year can fall in any month of the Gregorian calendar.

Until recently, Saudi Arabia opposed celebrating New Year's on January 1 and only permitted fireworks on that date in 2021. The celebration of January 1 has also been a point of contention in Uzbekistan, where the Persian New Year, Nowruz, is celebrated in March. Many in Uzbekistan, particularly those with traditional views, prefer Nowruz to be the dominant celebration, reflecting its status as the main festival in Iran and Afghanistan. It is also known as "Spring Festival" across much of Central Asia.

In Southeast Asia, January 1 and the regional Songkran celebration coexist harmoniously. Initially tied to the lunar Hindu calendar, Songkran now follows fixed Gregorian dates, with slight variations by country for convenience. In India, the Hindu new year is celebrated on various dates in March and April, depending on the region, while January 1 is also widely observed.

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Source: statista‍