- Cultural, religious, and historical factors shape the way various countries celebrate the arrival of the new year
- January 1st isn't universally accepted as New Year's Day, several countries follow different calendars for their celebrations
- From the Lunar New Year in China to Rosh Hashanah in Israel, TheRadar compiled seven countries with different celebration dates below
For most of the world, New Year’s Day falls on January 1st, but several countries celebrate the new year on different days, based on historical, cultural, or religious calendars.
TheRadar compiled 7 of the countries that celebrate the new year on different dates.
7 countries with different New Year celebration dates
1. Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, the New Year is celebrated as Pohela Boishakh, marking the first day of the Bengali calendar, which falls on April 14. This festival is widely observed in regions with Bengali heritage, including parts of India.
2. China
The Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar. Its date varies each year, usually falling between January 21 and February 20. The celebration will occur on January 29 in 2025.
3. India
India's New Year celebrations vary across regions, as different communities follow distinct calendars. Despite this, January 1st is recognized as the official New Year’s Day by the Indian government for administrative purposes.
4. Iran
In Iran, Nowruz marks the Persian New Year and is celebrated on March 21, according to the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar. The festival also extends to countries with significant Persian cultural ties, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, and others across Central Asia.
5. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia follows the Islamic calendar for its New Year celebrations. The Islamic New Year begins with the sighting of the new moon, signalling the start of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year.
6. South and North Korea
Both South and North Korea observe the Korean New Year, known as Seollal, based on the lunisolar calendar. This celebration, typically falling in January or February, lasts for three days and centres on family gatherings and traditional customs.
7. Vietnam
The Vietnamese New Year, or Tet, is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar, which typically falls between January 21 and February 9. In 2025, Tet will be observed on January 29 in 2025.
New Year Message: Tinubu pledges to boost food production, reduce inflation to 15% in 2025
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu pledged to boost food production and reduce inflation to 15 per cent in 2025.
The President said his administration’s policies in 2024 were working, going by the positive economic growth indicators recorded.