History of the New Year

Man, the start date of the New Year was all over the place in history and varied with culture/religion. So if Jan 1 never quite felt " right" to you as the first day of the New Year, this may be why:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html

 

"The earliest recording of a new year celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamia, c. 2000 B.C. and was celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox, in mid-March. A variety of other dates tied to the seasons were also used by various ancient cultures. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the fall equinox, and the Greeks celebrated it on the winter solstice."

Read more: A History of the New Year | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html#ixzz3E0ZikH3X

 

September was the 7th month of the Roman calendar year, which only had 10 months total, not our 12 months. Hence " sept" meaning 7 in Latin.

"The early Roman calendar designated March 1 as the new year. The calendar had just ten months, beginning with March. That the new year once began with the month of March is still reflected in some of the names of the months. September through December, our ninth through twelfth months, were originally positioned as the seventh through tenth months (septem is Latin for "seven," octo is "eight," novem is "nine," and decem is "ten."