2024 has come and gone and a new year is upon us. For many, it’s a fresh start in our lives, for others, it’s just a simple “wash, rinse, and repeat” kind of deal. Why is this holiday celebrated with such reverence? What makes the new year a breath of fresh air for so many people? Well, the earliest records of any New Year festival stem from Mesopotamia in 2000 BCE.

During that time, in Babylonia, the new year (Akitu) was marked by the new moon following the vernal equinox. Numerous cultures would mark the beginning of the new year, depending on where the new moon was during each season. In medieval times, Christian Europe would mark the 25th of March as the new year during the Feast of Annunciation, even though Anglo-Saxon England marked the 25th of December. Soon, William the Conqueror decreed that the year begins on the 1st of January, but England later joined the Christiandom and adopted the 25th of March instead. Soon, the Gregorian Calendar, which was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in 1582, restored January 1st as New Year’s Day, with many other European countries following suit, including Scottland in 1660, Germany and Denmark in 1700, England in 1752, and Russia in 1918.

Numerous cultures throughout the centuries have utilized the position of the new moon to solidify their beginnings of the new year, such as the Jewish religious calendar beginning on Rosh Hashana, the first day of the month of Tishri placed between September 6th and October 5th. Adding to this, the Muslim calendar marks its new year on the month of Muharram, which is the 26th of June. Nowruz, an ancient Zoroastrian festival, is celebrated as a cultural new year in Iran, as well as other parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, with some Persian influence. As far as the most recognizable aspect of the new year, the Chinese New Year is celebrated in late January and early February. As you can see, numerous cultures from around the world have their starting point when it comes to the new year.

Now, as far as the New Year having representation on the big screen, well, the celebration only has as much as a small glimpse of screentime. But that doesn’t mean that the feelings shouldn’t be acknowledged in the film. So, we’re going to give you some suggestions to start your new year off, one of them being 2013’s About Time. The film focuses on 21-year-old Tim, who finds out that he can time travel and tries to alter his past. But he soon finds out that trying to brighten his world by getting a girlfriend is not as easy as he thinks.

Another entry is 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary. In this film, Bridget is determined to find love, chronicling her endeavors in a diary she keeps. The last entry, a classic is the 1994 film Forest Gump. The film revolves around the titular character (portrayed by Tom Hanks), who recounts much of his life experience as he attempts to reunite with the love of his life, despite only having an IQ of 75. Quite whimsical, wouldn’t you agree?

And with that, this concludes 2024’s blog entries. We hope you enjoyed reading and exploring this plethora of subjects for your curious mind. 2025’s is just around the corner, meaning new wonders await those who are curious. And with those wonders, more knowledge to be attained in the future. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being a part of The Able Show, listening, and reading these wonderful stories of empowerment.

Have a Happy New Year!

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Works Cited

“About Time (2013).” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194499/. Accessed 30 December 2024.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001).” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243155/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_6_nm_2_in_0_q_bridget%2520jone. Accessed 30 December 2024.

Comstock, Frannie. “Chinese New Year | Summary, History, Traditions, & Facts.” Britannica, 21 December 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-New-Year. Accessed 30 December 2024.

“New Year festival | Definition, History, Traditions, & Facts.” Britannica, 10 January 2004, https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-Year-festival. Accessed 30 December 2024.

Pelikan, Jaroslav Jan. “Annunciation | Description, Meaning, & Feast Day.” Britannica, 14 November 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Annunciation-Christianity. Accessed 30 December 2024.

Preston, Charles, and Jacques Duchesne. “Nowruz | Festival, History, Practice, & Facts.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nowruz. Accessed 30 December 2024.

“Rosh Hashana | Jewish New Year, High Holidays, Traditions, & Facts.” Britannica, 21 November 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rosh-Hashana. Accessed 30 December 2024.