New Year's Day 2025

What is New Year's Day?

New Year's Day marks the first day of the calendar year in the Gregorian system, the civil calendar used in almost every country in the world. It follows New Year's Eve, and for many people the celebration runs across both nights, with fireworks at midnight, family meals, toasts, public concerts in city squares and a general feeling of starting afresh. In many countries the day also has its own traditions, such as eating particular foods for luck, making resolutions, or watching the New Year's concert from Vienna, and in some places swimming or hiking events welcome the first morning of the year.

Unlike most holidays, it has no single religious or national story attached to it. In Christian countries 1 January also falls within the Christmas season, and in the Catholic Church it is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, but for most observers the day is simply a pause between one year and the next, often spent resting, visiting relatives or watching sport after a late night. Because it comes straight after Christmas, it also closes the long winter holiday period that many families and businesses treat as a single stretch of leave.

Why it is observed

The Romans moved the start of their civil year to 1 January in 153 BC, when the consuls began to take office on that date, and the Julian calendar introduced in 45 BC kept it. Through the Middle Ages many European regions began the year on other dates, such as 25 March or Easter. The Gregorian reform of 1582 settled on 1 January for the Catholic world, and other countries adopted it later; Scotland moved the start of its year to 1 January in 1600, and England and its colonies followed in 1752. Orthodox churches that still use the Julian calendar for religious dates, such as the Russian and Serbian churches, mark an informal Old New Year on 14 January.

How the date is set

New Year's Day is fixed on 1 January, the first day of the Gregorian calendar. Where a country moves weekend holidays to a weekday, the day off may be shifted to a nearby working day.

How it is observed

In practice, 1 January is the most widely shared public holiday in the world. Banks, government offices, schools, post services and most shops close, public transport runs a reduced Sunday-style timetable, and only emergency services, hospitals and some pharmacies keep normal cover. A number of countries, Russia and Slovakia among them, build a longer winter break around it. Visitors should expect many restaurants and attractions to be shut or to open late, and should book ahead for evening events and transport. Whether employees receive extra pay, a substitute day when the date falls on a weekend, or nothing special at all depends on the country, the sector and the individual contract.