A move from March to January
by Borgna Brunner
Forward By Bob Barney: The Bible makes it clear that God's New Year starts in the springtime and so, the first month of God's calendar begins in the springtime, probably on or near the spring equinox. The January 1st date comes from Caesar and Rome. There is nothing inherently wrong with it, but it isn't "Christ's" circumcision date! We should be aware of "why we do what we do!"
The celebration of the new year on January 1st is a relatively new phenomenon. The earliest recording of a new year celebration is believed to have been in Mesopotamia, c. 2000 B.C. and was celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox, in mid-March. A variety of other dates tied to the seasons were also used by various ancient cultures. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the fall equinox, and the Greeks celebrated it on the winter solstice.
Early Roman Calendar: March 1st Rings in the New Year
The early Roman calendar designated March 1 as the new year. The calendar had just ten months, beginning with March. That the new year once began with the month of March is still reflected in some of the names of the months. September through December, our ninth through twelfth months, were originally positioned as the seventh through tenth months (septem is Latin for "seven," octo is "eight," novem is "nine," and decem is "ten.