(西 方) 新 年 的 起 源

(西 方) 新 年 的 起 源

Tradition of New Year

在所有的節假日中,新年具有最悠久的曆史. 慶賀新年始於公元前4000年的古巴比倫. 直到大約公元前2000年, 巴比倫人以春分後的第一輪弦月升起的日子作為新年的開始.  春分是春天的第一天.

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).

春天萬物複生, 耕耘起始, 萬紫千紅, 以春天作為一年的開端適情合理. 而用1月1日作為元旦, 既不具星象上也沒有農業方麵的特殊含義. 純粹是人為生成.

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

古代羅馬人保持了在(現代曆)三月末慶祝新年的傳統. 可是由於君主頻更,國曆最終與太陽作息脫節.

The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

為了重整日曆, 羅馬國會終於於公元前153年宣布每年的1月1日為元旦. 但是曆製紊亂直到公元前46年凱撒大帝建立了”凱撒曆”後才真正停止. 凱撒曆仍然使用1月1日為元旦,不過為了能夠使得新曆與太陽周期吻合,凱撒足足拖了445天才開始宣布新年伊始!

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days!