and when he created the Julian calendar, he made January 1 the first day of the year (this also put the calendar year in line with the consular year, as new consuls also took office that day).

Most countries use what’s called the Gregorian calendar. This calendar, first adopted by Pope Gregory in the 1500s, sets Jan. 1 as the beginning of the new year and is currently in the year 2024 A.D.

You might have been, had much of the Western world not adopted the modern calendar that begins each year on Jan. 1. The oldest recorded new year festivities date back to 2000 B.C. in ancient ...