NEW YEAR. — The feast of the n. y. closes, among all human groups, a period of time, generally reckoned according to the astronomical course of the seasons, and opens a new one. It is the concern of the groups that celebrate it to eliminate, almost officially, through appropriate ceremonies, the past with all its evil, and to begin the period that is starting with rites of good omen. The feasts of the n. y. therefore have the twofold aspect of driving away and expiating the evil committed or suffered during the period that has ended, and of auspice for the future, whose veil concealing it they also seek to rend through divinatory practices.
Eliminatory rites: striking every corner of the house with a stick in order to drive out its evil spirits and then throwing the stick into a river; throwing away from the house all unusable or broken objects; making a noise by striking copper objects, blowing trumpets as in the Jewish n. y. (rōš haš-šānāh), burning paper effigies representing the spirit of evil; in ancient Rome, driving away with blows of a stick Mamurius Veturius, representative of Old Mars, that is, the year that had elapsed; in Babylon, during the feast of the akitu, also called sagmuk, sacrificing a ram whose head, severed from the body, was, together with the body, after being rubbed against the temple walls, thrown into the river; this was followed by the confession of sins by the king, stripped of his royal insignia and kneeling: after which, having put the insignia back on, he renewed the sacred provision of his royal power by touching the statue of the god Marduk. Also during the akitu, this god, who possessed the tablets of destiny, fixed the destiny of the city for the entire year. On the day of the Jewish n. y. (rōš haš-šānāh), Jewish tradition likewise believes that Yahweh judges human actions and fixes the destiny of individuals for the whole year.
Augural and divinatory rites: words of good omen, the exchange of gifts (among the Romans strennae, hence “strenna”) characterize the feast of the n. y. everywhere, as do the lighting of the new fire, propitiatory prayers, and the tasting of foods expressing abundance (rice, lentils) or fecundity (animals). Augural rites are often accompanied by divinatory practices, now remaining only in popular tradition, aimed at learning the future, especially with regard to marriage, the harvest, and death. A custom very widespread in Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic northern Europe is to forecast the events of the 12 months of the new year by observing those of the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany. The use of forecasting based on observation of a period of 12 days is extremely ancient and is also found in Vedic India, where it was believed that the Ribhus, the divine artisans, “bestowers of treasures,” remained for 12 days in the house of the Sun and that during this time, as spirits of the seasons, they gave the earth irrigation with water and luxuriant vegetation (Rg Veda, IV, 35, 7). Perhaps the number 12 corresponds to the 12 days that had to be intercalated in India in order to bring the shorter lunar year into agreement with the solar year.
Since the Christian year is based on the life of the Founder Jesus, it does not coincide with the civil year but begins on the first Sunday of Advent; nevertheless, the Church, adapting itself to civil usage, just as it solemnly thanks God, with the singing of the Te Deum, for the benefits received during the year that is dying, so it invokes his help on the first day of the new year with the singing of the Veni Creator (v. ANNO, INIZIO dell'; CALENDARIO).