The Origins of New Year's
What the Bible Says About New Years
Millions celebrate New Year’s without knowing its origin. Should Christians participate in its festivities?
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Video Credit Source: RestoredCOG
The Origins of New Year's
The Pagan origins of New Year's and Christmas have more in common than just being a week apart. The celebration of the new year is directly related to the same Greek and Roman paganism that Christmas derived from. Should Christians celebrate New Year's according to what the Bible says? Is New Year's a Christian holiday? Is New Year's in the Bible? Have you ever heard of the god Janus? Explained in this video is the two-headed god Janus and the connection to January and New Year's.
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Video Credit Source: Yahweh's Restoration Ministry
Why Christians Don’t Celebrate New Year’s
Written By: The Restored Church of God
The world is filled with endless customs and traditions. Yet few seek to understand—to research—the origin of things. Most go along with popular practices without question, choosing to do what everyone else does simply because it is easier. The majority hold the same beliefs they learned in childhood, assuming what they believe and do is right. They take their beliefs for granted and never take time to truly study or prove them.
Should true Christians—whose calling and goal is to imitate the perfect life of Jesus Christ—celebrate New Year’s? Should they be caught up in the excitement? What could be wrong with “ringing out the old and ringing in the new”? What is the origin of this holiday? What does God say about it? You will be surprised to learn the truth that ministers of professing Christianity either do not know—or will not teach.
A Brief History of New Year’s
Before looking at what the Bible says about New Year’s, we must first examine the history of this popular holiday. Notice this from the Encyclopaedia Britannica: “The earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from about 2000 BC in Mesopotamia, wherein Babylonia the New Year (Akitu) began with the new moon after the spring equinox (mid-March) and in Assyria with the new moon nearest the autumn equinox (mid-September).” Now notice this: “Among ancient peoples, the beginning of the year was determined by one of the various events, such as the spring or autumnal equinox or the winter or summer solstice. In Egypt, for example, beginning about 2773 BC, the year began with the heliacal rising of Sirius, which coincided with the start of the flood period of the Nile and came not long after the summer solstice” (Encyclopedia Americana). The Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the autumn equinox (September 21), while the Greeks, until the 5th century BC, observed their new year with the winter solstice (December 21). World Book states, “Many ancient peoples…performed rituals to do away with the past and purify themselves for the new year. For example, some people put out the fires they were using and started new ones.” The Celts celebrated the new year on November 1, marking the end of summer and the harvest, and the beginning of the cold, dark winter ahead. (This was a precursor to Halloween.) They built “sacred” bonfires to scare off evil spirits and to honor their sun god. Also, notice this: “In early times, the ancient Romans gave each other New Year’s gifts of branches from sacred trees. In later years, they gave gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted with pictures of Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. January was named after Janus, who had two faces—one looking forward and the other looking backward” (ibid.).
God Hates All Pagan Customs and Traditions—Including New Year’s
Notice what God thinks of New Year’s, and any holiday that has its roots in pagan practices, customs, and traditions. You will be shocked. Let’s begin with Jeremiah 10:2-3: “Learn not the way of the heathen…for the customs of the people are vain.” This is a plain command from God—in your Bible. Throughout His Word, God describes “the heathen” as those who worship nature (the sun, moon, stars, trees, etc.), or manmade idols, or anything but the one true God. He calls such people and their practices heathen. Men call them pagan. Christians understand that God hates all customs, practices, and traditions that have pagan roots.
How serious is God about paganism? Follow the next few passages carefully. When He rescued the 12 tribes of Israel from Egypt and led them out of brutal slavery, God commanded, “After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein you dwelt, you shall not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, where I bring you, shall you not do: neither shall you walk in [men’s] ordinances” (Lev. 18:3). God told the Israelites not to defile themselves with the practices and customs of the surrounding nations (vs. 24-29). “Therefore shall you keep My ordinance, that you commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that you defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God” (vs. 30).
Source: The Restored Church of God
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