The Pagan New Year occurs on different dates depending on the pagan tradition or culture being followed. In some traditions, it is celebrated on Samhain, which falls on October 31st or November 1st, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Samhain is a time when the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world is believed to be thinnest, allowing communication with ancestors and spirits. In other pagan traditions, the New Year is celebrated on the Winter Solstice, which usually falls around December 21st or 22nd. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year, and it is seen as a time of rebirth and renewal as the days begin to lengthen again. Some pagan traditions also celebrate the New Year on Imbolc, which typically falls on February 1st or 2nd.
Much of the symbolism associated with New Year’s celebrations today has very definite pagan origins. Kissing at the moment of transition to the next year is rooted in pagan sexual practice and superstition. And evergreen wreaths associated with Christmas were originally part of the pagan Calend celebration of Jan. 1.
Although some of the individual festivals are ancient Celtic Irish in origin, the current combination of four Celtic festivals with the two solstices and two equinoxes these events celebrated in many pagan and other religions worldwide into a pattern of eight equally important festivals does not seem to be traceable back earlier than the 1950s, when put together by Gardner and adopted by Nichols in 1964 Hutton, 1999. Wicca draws its practice from ancient Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, Roman and Greek practices, but is a modern construction and eclectic blend of old religions.
Some pagan traditions also celebrate the New Year on Imbolc, which typically falls on February 1st or 2nd. Imbolc is a time of purification and preparation for the coming spring, and it is associated with the goddess Brigid. Overall, the Pagan New Year is not a fixed date but varies depending on the specific tradition and cultural practices of the pagan community.
Are New Year Celebrations Pagan in Origin?
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Are New Year Celebrations Pagan in Origin?
MP3 Audio (3.33 MB) Simply put, the answer is yes—New Year celebrations did originate in paganism. Much of the symbolism associated with New Year’s celebrations today has very definite pagan origins.In the earliest days of the Church (the first and second centuries after Christ) there were no such celebrations as Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “According to the hypothesis . . . accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian [Roman] Calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the sun began to return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the invincible sun)” (1967, Vol. 3, p. 656).
Those customs carried over in the observance of Christmas (with its many traditions and practices steeped in paganism), and the “birth” of the “new year” of the sun. This is why the Roman calendar in use today designates Jan. 1 as the beginning of the new year as opposed to God’s designation of the spring month of Abib or Nisan on the Hebrew calendar as the beginning of the year (Exodus 12:1-2).
Much of the symbolism associated with New Year’s celebrations today has very definite pagan origins. Kissing at the moment of transition to the next year is rooted in pagan sexual practice and superstition. And evergreen wreaths associated with Christmas were originally part of the pagan Calend celebration of Jan. 1.
Because we live in this secular society and most of the world operates according to the commonly used Roman calendar, it’s common to think of a new calendar year as beginning Jan. 1. Yet involvement in the celebration of that is not appropriate.
That said, one should be careful not to become too judgmental if, for example, someone is viewing a football game or parade at that time of year—as opposed to actually celebrating a New Year festival.
If you’d like to learn more, many resources are available that show the pagan origins of New Year’s Day celebrations. You can find related material in reference encyclopedias and online research resources as well.
The Romans used a calendar consisting of 10 months and 304 days, with each new year beginning in the spring. Over the centuries, the calendar fell out of sync with the sun so in 46 BC, Julius Caesar “solved” the problem. He consulted with mathematicians and astronomers to create a new calendar based on the sun, which resembles the modern Gregorian calendar.
Are New Year Celebrations Pagan in Origin?
MP3 Audio (3.33 MB) Simply put, the answer is yes—New Year celebrations did originate in paganism. Much of the symbolism associated with New Year’s celebrations today has very definite pagan origins.In the earliest days of the Church (the first and second centuries after Christ) there were no such celebrations as Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “According to the hypothesis . . . accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian [Roman] Calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the sun began to return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the invincible sun)” (1967, Vol. 3, p. 656).
Those customs carried over in the observance of Christmas (with its many traditions and practices steeped in paganism), and the “birth” of the “new year” of the sun. This is why the Roman calendar in use today designates Jan. 1 as the beginning of the new year as opposed to God’s designation of the spring month of Abib or Nisan on the Hebrew calendar as the beginning of the year (Exodus 12:1-2).
Much of the symbolism associated with New Year’s celebrations today has very definite pagan origins. Kissing at the moment of transition to the next year is rooted in pagan sexual practice and superstition. And evergreen wreaths associated with Christmas were originally part of the pagan Calend celebration of Jan. 1.
Because we live in this secular society and most of the world operates according to the commonly used Roman calendar, it’s common to think of a new calendar year as beginning Jan. 1. Yet involvement in the celebration of that is not appropriate.
That said, one should be careful not to become too judgmental if, for example, someone is viewing a football game or parade at that time of year—as opposed to actually celebrating a New Year festival.
If you’d like to learn more, many resources are available that show the pagan origins of New Year’s Day celebrations. You can find related material in reference encyclopedias and online research resources as well.
These different dates allow for various celebrations and observances, each with its own unique significance and rituals..
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