New Year’s Day

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome. With most countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, New Year's Day is the closest thing to being the world's only truly global public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts. January 1 on the Julian calendar currently corresponds to January 14 on the Gregorian calendar, and it is on that date that followers of some of the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year.

History

The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. After Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 46 BC and was subsequently murdered, the Roman Senate voted to deify him on the 1st January 42 BC ^[1] in honour of his life and his institution of the new rationalised calendar.^[2] The month originally owes its name to the deity Janus, who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward. This suggests that New Year's celebrations are founded on pagan traditions. Some have suggested this occurred in 153 BC, when it was stipulated that the two annual consuls (after whose names the years were identified) entered into office on that day, though no consensus exists on the matter.^[3] Dates in March, coinciding with the spring equinox, or commemorating the Annunciation of Jesus, along with a variety of Christian feast dates were used throughout the Middle Ages, though calendars often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December.

New Year's Day

Among the 7th century pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands, it was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year. This was a pagan custom deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemings and Dutchmen, "(Do not) make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another Yule custom]." The quote is from the vita of Eligius written by his companion, Ouen.

New Year's Day

Most countries in Western Europe officially adopted January 1 as New Year's Day somewhat before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. In England, the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, was the first day of the new year until the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752. The March 25 date was known as Annunciation Style; the January 1 date was known as Circumcision Style, because this was the date of the Feast of the Circumcision, being the eighth day counting from December 25 when Christ was believed to be born. This day was christened as the beginning of the New Year by Pope Gregory as he designed the Liturgical Calendar.

New Year's Days in other calendars

New Year's Day

In cultures which traditionally or currently use calendars other than the Gregorian, New Year's Day is often also an important celebration. Some countries concurrently use the Gregorian and another calendar. New Year's Day in the alternative calendar attracts alternative celebrations of New year.

New Year's Day

• Chinese New Year is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is the first day of the lunar calendar and is corrected for the solar every three years. The holiday normally falls between 20 January and 20 February. The holiday is celebrated with plenty of good food, families, lucky red envelopes (filled with money), and many other red things which resemble good luck. Lion and dragon dances, drums, fireworks, firecrackers, and other types of entertainment fill the streets on this day. This holiday is a favourite for many of the adults and children who celebrate it.

• Tamil New Year (Puthandu[[1]]) is celebrated on 13th April or 14th April. Traditionally, it is celebrated as Chiththirai Thirunaal in parts of Tamilnadu to mark the event of Sun entering into Aries. Panchangam (almanac), is read in temples to mark the start of the Year.

• Hindu New Year falls at the time and date the Sun enters Aries on the Hindu calendar. Normally on 13 April or 14 April depending on the Leap year. The new year is celebrated by paying respect to elders in the family and by seeking their blessings. They also exchange tokens of good wishes for a healthy and prosperous year ahead.

• Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. Nowruz has been celebrated for over 3,000 years by the related cultural continent. The holiday is also celebrated and observed by many parts of Central Asia, South Asia, Northwestern China, Crimea and some groups in the Balkans. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians, the same time is celebrated in the Indian sub-continent as the new year. The moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and Iranian families gather together to observe the rituals.

• Islamic The Hijri New Year, also known as Islamic new year (Arabic: رأس السنة الهجرية‎ Ras as-Sanah al-Hijriyah) is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year. New Year moves from year to year because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar.The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar.

• Israel is one country that uses the Gregorian calendar but does not formally celebrate the New Year's holiday — mainly due to objections by religious parties on the holiday's non-Jewish origins.^{[citation needed]} However, there are Israeli Jews who partake in some sort of celebration. The date of the Jewish new year is celebrated on Rosh Hashanah no matter where the location.

• Japanese New Year in Japan is celebrated on January 1 because the Gregorian calendar is now used instead of the Chinese calendar.

• Korean New Year called Seolnal is the first day of the lunar calendar. Koreans also celebrate solar New Year's Day on January 1 each year, following the Gregorian Calendar. People get a day off that day while have minimum three days off on Lunar New Year. People celebrate New Year's Day by preparing food for the ancestors' spirits, visiting ancestors' graves, then playing Korean games such as Yutnol'i {say: yun-no-ree} with families. Young children give respect to their parents, grandparents, relatives, and other elders by bowing down in a traditional way and are given good wishes and some money by the elders. Families enjoy the new years also by counting down until 12:00 a.m., which would be New Year's Day.
• Ethiopian New Year called Enqutatash. It is celebrated on September 11 or September 12 based on the leap year. Ethiopian use their own ancient calendar. However some say it has connection with Julian calendar. The new year is the end of the summer season and where you see natural flowers every where in the country.

Iran to test-fire long range missiles in Gulf

Iran plans to test-fire long range missiles during a naval exercise in the Gulf, following a threat by Tehran to close shipping lanes if the West imposes sanctions on its oil exports.
Mahmoud Mousavi, Iran's senior navy commander, told English-language Press TV, "All kinds of surface-to-sea, sea-to-sea and surface-to-air, as well as shoulder-launched missiles, will be tested in the coming days".
The semi-official Fars news agency, Press TV and the state-run IRNA news agency reported earlier on Saturday that Iran had already test-fired long-range and other missiles.
The 10-day naval drill, which began last Saturday, coincided with increased tension in Iran's nuclear row with Western
powers, after the EU said it was considering a ban - already in place in the US - on importing oil from Iran.
Tehran says the drill is aimed at showing Iran's resolve to counter any attack by enemies such as Israel or the US, which have not ruled out a military option if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear dispute with Iran.
Tehran threatened on Tuesday to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if it became the target of an oil embargo over its nuclear ambitions, a move that could trigger military conflict with countries dependent on Gulf oil.
Iran's oil minister said crude prices will rise to more than $200 per barrel if foreign sanctions are imposed on the country's oil exports over its disputed nuclear work, the Aseman weekly reported on Saturday.
"Undoubtedly the price of crude will increase dramatically if sanctions are imposed on our oil ... It will reach at least over $200 per barrel," Rostam Qasemi said.
Missile capabilities
Iranian media have said the naval exercise differed from previous ones in terms of "the vastness of the area of action and the military equipment and tactics that are being employed".
During military drills in 2009, Iran test-fired its surface-to-surface Shahab-3 missile, said to be capable of reaching Israel and US bases in the Middle East.
Washington has expressed concern about Tehran's missile progamme: including the Shahab-3, a strategic intermediate range ballistic missile with a range of up to 1,000km; the Ghadr-1 with an estimated 1,600km range; and a Shahab-3 variant known as Sajjil-2 with a range of up to 2,400km.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Ali Reza Sheikh Attar says Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, is to send a letter soon to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to arrange a new round of negotiations.
Attar didn't say when the letter would be sent. His comments were reported by the semi-official Mehr news agency on Saturday.
Mahjoob Zweiri, a professor at Qatar University, said that the EU would take at least ten days to respond to Iran's overtures.
He also said that "while keeping the diplomatic track open", Iran has historically "tried to show Western powers the preparations for any type of attack".
The last round of negotiations between Iran and the six powers - the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - in January in Istanbul, Turkey, ended in failure.
Tensions with the West have risen since the UN nuclear watchdog reported on November 8 that Iran appears to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be pursuing research to that end.
Iran denies this and says it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity to meet growing domestic demand.

Gamblers say Romney to win Republican race

Electronic markets indicate that former governor is likely to win Iowa caucus and take party's presidential nomination.
Opinion polls go up and down, but for those with money on the line, Mitt Romney is now a heavy favourite to win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination and go on to challenge US President Barack Obama.
Two electronic markets that allow wagering on real-world events have the former Massachusetts governor well ahead, days before the first votes are tallied in a months-long series of state elections to pick the Republican nominee.
The Iowa Electronic Markets (IEM) showed on Friday a bid for Romney to win the nomination at 0.779 and an offer at 0.790, meaning expectations for his victory are 78.3 per cent, against about 51 per cent at the start of December.
IEM has been operated by the University of Iowa since 1988, chiefly as an educational and research project.

Real money is on the line, albeit not exactly at Las Vegas or Wall Street levels; trading accounts can be opened for $5 to $500.
Romney's closest Republican challenger is currently "none of the above", at 8.2 per cent, followed by Texas Representative Ron Paul and former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich in the six per cent range.

Intrade, a Dublin-based prediction market, shows Romney with a 77.4 per cent chance of capturing the Republican nomination.
The exchange offers contracts on various current events, from Obama's approval rating to who Herman Cain will endorse in the Republican race.
Iowa toss-up
Both exchanges provide real-time snapshots of which candidates are gaining or losing ground, without the built-in biases and randomness of opinion polls.
For Iowa, current prices suggest that Tuesday's caucuses are still too close to call, but with Paul favoured for a strong showing, and Romney gaining momentum.
On IEM, Romney's chances of finishing in the top two in Iowa had fallen to 30 per cent in mid-December, from 87 per cent a month earlier.
As of Friday, though, betters predict Paul and Romney will finish one-two in Iowa, though not necessarily in that order.
Bets on Iowa at Intrade have fluctuated, but now show Romney with a 46 per cent chance to win against Paul's 38 per cent.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has rallied to a 12.8 per cent chance of winning, from just two per cent a few days ago.
Intrade also reflects the current sentiment among political pundits that a surprise win in Iowa could energise the Romney campaign and set up an early knockout.
It shows a 33 per cent chance that Romney will sweep the first five Republican nominating contests - Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada - against about a 12 per cent chance at the start of December.

happy new year

happy new year

“Few days to go, and New Year 2012 will be here. With the advent of new year, a new era begins and with it comes new hopes and new possibilities.

happy new year

Every year teaches us some of life’s most important lessons, and with that learning we put our step forward into the new year.

And, when we celebrate this very special occasion with our loved ones, the happiness just doubles. For this very purpose, we bring to you our latest collection of new year wishes, messages, quotes. Dig a little deeper, and you will know that how new year is celebrated in different parts of the world.

happy new year

 

 

happy new year

happy new year

Snipers rule the streets in the besieged Syrian city of Homs

 
For months, the Syrian city of Homs has been the focus of opposition to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, with almost daily protests since the summer.
More recently, defectors from the military have begun organizing armed resistance. Meanwhile, government forces have tightened their siege of rebellious neighborhoods that are now under the control of the opposition.
A freelance journalist and filmmaker -- who is not named for his own security -- has just left Homs, and over the next few days CNN will be showcasing his remarkable stories from the front lines of a city at war.
Among the bullet-scarred walls of neighborhoods under siege, he encountered the government snipers who prowl the city picking off their victims apparently indiscriminately and at will.
He found snipers stationed on almost every main street, manning checkpoints on both sides and firing at anybody crossing the street between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. the next day -- imposing a kind of unofficial curfew.
He spoke to one woman whose daughter was seven months pregnant when she was shot in the head as she tried to venture out of the house to do some shopping. The snipers kept shooting as relatives tried to reach the pregnant woman where she lay dead in the street, before finally they were able to bring her body back to her mother's home.

Cyclone pummels eastern Indian coast, kills 12

 
At least 12 people were killed after a cyclone pummeled India's southeastern coastline Friday, bringing high winds and rain, officials said.
Coastal districts in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and in the territory of Puducherry were on high alert as the cyclone approached.
The deaths were reported in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, where meteorologists reported winds gusting at between 75 and 87 miles per hour.
Amuthavalli, the top administrator for the district who goes by a single name, told CNN the fatalities were the result of wall collapses and electrocution. No major rescue operations were required and the death toll in the district is not now expected to rise greatly, she said.
Emergency crews are working to restore power supplies and clear roads of fallen trees and downed power lines, she added.
Meteorologists downgraded Cyclone Thane from "very severe" to "severe" after it made landfall Friday morning. By lunchtime, it had weakened further to a "deep depression" as it moved westward, they said.
Fishermen were advised to stay off rough seas throughout the day and coastal residents were told to evacuate to higher ground ahead of the storm's arrival.
Many people in largely agricultural and fishing communities along the coast live in thatched-roof huts that could sustain extensive damage, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Friday morning.
It also warned of power and communication outages and damage to trees and crops.
Parts of coastal and inland Tamil Nadu and Puducherry can expect heavy rainfall over the next day, the IMD said. Heavy rain is also forecast for parts of Andhra Pradesh, as well as northern Kerala and southern Karnataka.

Hacker group targets US security firm

The cyberactivist collective that goes by the name of Antisec says it has stolen thousands of emails, passwords and credit card details from Stratfor, a US-based security firm.
They say the information was easily taken because the company, whose clients include the US defence department, did not encrypt it.
The group also claims it used credit-card details of big businesses to post donations to various charities, but individuals are complaining of being targeted as well.
Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports from Washington.