In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, 1 January. Most solar calendars begin the year regularly at or near the northern winter solstice, while cultures and religions that observe a lunisolar or lunar calendar celebrate their Lunar New Year at less fixed points relative to the solar year.
Fireworks in Mexico City for New Year 2013
Fireworks in London at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day 2014
Fireworks in Rome at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day 2012
In Christendom, 1 January traditionally marks the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (Ianuarius). According to ancient Roman farmers' almanacs, Juno was mistaken as the tutelary deity of the month of January, but Juno is the tutelary deity of the month of June.
Statue representing Janus Bifrons in the Vatican Museums
Different depictions of Janus from Bernard de Montfaucon's L'antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures
The temple of Janus with closed doors, on a sestertius issued under Nero in 66 AD from the mint at Lugdunum
The month of January is named after Janus
