Solar New Year

This event is observed at different times of year and with varying practices in cultures across the globe. The most common bases chosen to begin a new calendar year are the winter solstice, summer solstice, the spring equinox and the autumnal equinox. South and South-east Asian solar calendars are more formally linked to astronomical events.

Some of the more widely known solar new year celebrations include:

• Enkutatash (Ethiopian calendar): about ten days before the autumnal equinox
• January 1 in the Gregorian and Julian calendars (same number, different days): at present about twelve and twenty-five days respectively after the northern winter solstice.
• Iranian New Year (Nowruz) : precisely the northern spring equinox
• The various solar new years celebrated in South/SE Asia, whose new year is determined by the position of the Sun relative to the constellation of Aries, such as
  • Cambodian New Year: about six or seven days before the northern spring equinox
  • Tamil New Year (Tamil: தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு, romanized: Puttāṇṭu, lit. 'new year'): about 24 or 25 days after the northern spring equinox
  • Vaisakhi: about 24 or 25 days after the northern spring equinox
  • Pohela Boishakh (Bengali calendar): about 24 or 25 days after the northern spring equinox

• Lunar New Year
• Indian cultural sphere
• Iranian cultural sphere
• East Asian cultural sphere
• New Year
  • New Year's Day