Old New Year's Day

Old New Year's Day, which is considered the beginning of the New Year, was celebrated by many countries on March 25 every year until the creation of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Even after this, some countries still celebrate New Year on March 25. It began in some places after Dionysius Exiguus introduced the Anno Domini calendar in 525 C.E. Dionysius chosen March 25th as the New Year because Jesus would be conceived on the day of the Annunciation, nine months before Christmas Day. The New Year is also placed at this time as it is close to the point of the vernal equinox.

 “Annunciation style dating" or” Lady Day style dating" became popularly during the middle Ages and after. Scotland changed the New Year to January 1, 1600. England started celebrating New Year's Day on March 25, 1155, and until 1752, they had changed to the modern day Gregorian calendar. In the UK and surrounding areas, on the 25th day of the New Year, the annual contract between landowners and tenant farmers begins and ends. Farmers moving to the new farm will travel on this day. When the calendar changed in 1752, these customs began to be practiced on April 5. The UK tax year still follows the old calendar to this day. The tax year begins on April 6, and is extended by twelve days to March 25. Until 1918, Russia changed to the new calendar. However, Old New Year's Day is still celebrated in some countries over the world.