New Year & winter solstice

[michel123456]

Why is the New Year not celebrated exactly on the winter solstice 21st of December but ten days after?

Edited December 31, 2011 by michel123456

[iNow]

It's actually 33 days after if you are in Asia and celebrate the Chinese new year. As for the rest... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year

[Janus]

Why is the New Year not celebrated exactly on the winter solstice 21st of December but ten days after?

Our calendar evolved out of modifications to earlier calendars

An earlier version started its year with the vernal equinox. It was later that it was moved close to the solstice. I would assume that they just picked the 1st of the month that started closest to the solstice rather than shift the whole calendar.

[michel123456]

In the wiki new years article there is no direct connection with solstice. But there is a connection with Christmas in the wiki solstice article

 

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, called the "Son of God," the second person of the Holy Trinity, as well as "Savior of the World." The birth is observed on December 25, which was the Roman winter solstice upon establishment of the Julian Calendar.[10]

 

And about Hogmanay (Scotland)

The New Years Eve celebration of Scotland is called Hogmanay. The name derives from the old Scots name for Yule gifts of the Middle Ages. The early Hogmanay celebrations were originally brought to Scotland by the invading and occupying Norse who celebrated a solstitial new year (Britain celebrated the new year on March 25, "Lady Day"). In 1600, with the Scottish application of the January 1 New year and the church's persistent suppression of the solstice celebrations, the holiday traditions moved to December 31.

 

So a tradition that was ment to happen on December 22 instead of December 25, was moved on December 31 to match one that was originally celebrated on March 25.

 

It's a mess. It will be a delice for archeologists and historians of the future thousand years examining our current civilisation.

Edited January 1, 2012 by michel123456