Many nations and cultures celebrate their New Year on different dates, even though January 1st is commonly accepted as the New Year in many areas of the world. These festivities, which represent the cultural and historical diversity of societies, are sometimes linked to distinctive calendars, religious occasions, or seasonal cycles. This article examines nations that do not observe January 1st as New Year’s Day.
1. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia In Saudi Arabia, the Islamic calendar is used to calculate the New Year. When the new moon is sighted at sundown, the Islamic New Year officially begins. One of the four holy months in the Islamic calendar, Muharram, begins on this day, which is also celebrated as the start of a new year.
2. Iran Based on the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar, Nowruz is the Iranian or Persian New Year celebration in Iran. The celebration of Nowruz, which typically takes place on March 21 in the Gregorian calendar, signifies the conclusion of one year and the start of a new one. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are among the nations that observe this day as well.
3. China. Based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar, the Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.
Although the exact day varies each year, it typically falls between January 21 and February 20. The date of the New Year in 2025 is January 29.
4. The Indian The New Year is celebrated at different dates depending on when it is observed in the many calendars that are used by different communities in India. Nonetheless, it is significant to remember that January 1st is still officially recognized as New Year’s Day by the Indian government.
5. The Vietnam Traditionally, the first day of the lunar calendar—usually one or two months after the Gregorian New Year—is used to commemorate the Vietnamese New Year, also called the Tet Holiday. The start of Tet can therefore occur at any point between January 21 and February 9. In 2025, the Tet festival falls on January 29th according to the Gregorian calendar.
6. Bangladesh Bangladesh Pohela Boishakh is another name for New Year’s Day. In contrast to other countries, the Bengali calendar’s first day, April 14, is when the New Year is celebrated. In the nation and several Bengali-influenced regions of India, the Pohela Boishakh festival is observed.
7. North and South Korea The Lunisolar calendar is still used by traditional Koreans, who celebrate the New Year on the second new moon following the winter solstice in January or February. The three-day family celebration known as the Korean New Year is still observed in the nation. Seollal is the name of the celebration. The diversity of customs and beliefs around the world is exemplified by the New Year’s celebrations observed on dates other than January 1.
