By MDS -C19 Staff , January 1 2021
In France and in Europe, New Year's Day has not always been January 1st: the new year begins on this date by virtue of the Edict of Roussillon of August 9, 1564, promulgated by King Charles IX.
Previously, New Year's Day has changed a lot over the centuries for people using the solar calendar and this, at the whim of the Churches, the times and the countries. The beginning of the Christian era (the Anno Domini), which only gradually imposed itself in Europe from the first millennium, was fixed according to the works of the monk Denys Le Petit carried out in the 6th century. This last placed the birth of Jesus on December 25 of the year 753 + 1 = 754 ab Urbe condita, or "754 since the foundation of Rome". In the V and VI centuries, in many provinces, New Year's Day was celebrated on March 1st (Venetian style).
Under Charlemagne, the year begins at Christmas (style of the Nativity of Jesus).
In the time of the Capetian kings, the year begins on Easter Day (Easter style). As a result, the years vary greatly in length.
This usage is almost general in the XII and XIII centuries and even up to the xve in some provinces. The genealogists of the kings of France must therefore juggle dates according to places to tell history since the beginning of the year varies according to the provinces: in Vienna, for example, it is March 25th (Florentine style or Annunciation style, hence the tradition of April Fools' Fools' Day commemorating the custom of exchanging gifts at the beginning of the year in this style) …
Finally, the Edict of Roussillon, promulgated by King Charles IX. harmonized the practices. The Germanic Emperor and King of Spain Charles V, who also reigned over the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Lombardy, the Italian Mezzogiorno and Spanish-speaking America, had already set the beginning of the year on the first of January for his lands a few decades earlier, but it was Pope Gregory III who, by instituting the Gregorian calendar, generalized this measure to the entire Christian world, in particular to simplify the calendar of religious holidays. The commune of Paris restored the republican calendar in 1871 for a very short period of time.
France :
In Savoy, on New Year's Day and in January, children were given candy cones or money, called "étrennes", each time they visited family members. On New Year's Day, we visited friends to wish them a Happy New Year. It is at this time of the year that the household staff, janitors, janitors, etc., receive their New Year's gifts, a sum of money paid by the employer to reward the quality of service rendered during the past year. At midnight, a tradition is that the French kiss each other under a branch of mistletoe. You can present your wishes until January 31.
Canada :
In French Canada and Acadia, New Year's Day is an event that is celebrated as a family. As in the "good old days", members of the family gather in old family homes for festive vigils. For many French Canadians and Acadians, New Year's Day is a time that is particularly rich in old traditions. A special tribute is paid to traditional music whose origins date back to the time of the colony: answer songs, cotillion, jig and rigodon etc. Fruit cakes are among the foods that traditionally make up the New Year's Day meal menu.
However, before the New Year's Day celebration begins, and upon the request of the eldest child, many families first proceed with the father's blessing, although many people prefer to celebrate the New Year's Day in a bar. Also, in Quebec, the Bye Bye is a television program that provides a humorous review of the year that is coming to an end. It was broadcast from 1968 to 1998 and since 2006. This program is presented on December 31st at 11 pm on Radio Canada , a tradition for many Quebecers…
United States
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Mummers Parade is held every January 1st. The city's associations, called New Years Associations, compete in four categories. They prepare costumes and mobile stages for months. Approximately 15,000 people attend the parade each year. The first of these parades was organized in 1901.
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