According to the Hebrew calendar, the New Year begins on the first of Nisan, usually in the early spring (March or April). Nisan is considered the first month of the Hebrew calendar though years are counted from the 1st of Tishrei, the seventh month. The 1st of Nisan was considered the New Year for counting the years of the reigns of kings in ancient Israel. It is also the New Year for ordering the Jewish holidays. The month of Nisan is closely tied with the festival of Passover, while Rosh Hashanah is seen as the anniversary of the creation of the world.  The first of Nisan is seen in a way as the anniversary of the founding of the Jewish people when they escaped from Egypt during the Passover story.  While Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei. Tishrei is the first month of the Jewish civil year, but the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year.

So, you wonder why we do not acknowledge or celebrate this time as New Year’s.  There have been several ‘major’ calendars that have been accepted and used in the world.  Let’s begin by considering the Roman calendar.  This calendar was used by most of the world at one time.  It was quite defective in that accounted a year, with all its different months, as 355 days.  Every two years, an additional month, named Mercedonius was added to correct the calendar’s inaccuracies.  In this calendar, the new year began with the vernal equinox in early March.  Around 45 B.C. Julius Caesar called for a new calendar to be made that would be more accurate.  It was called the Julian calendar and began to acknowledge January 1st as the beginning of the new year.  There were still some inaccuracies in the accounting of time in a year.

The Gregorian Calendar was first introduced by Pope Gregory XIII – which is how the calendar got its name.  It is the calendar that is still used today, and is the most accurate calendar by far.  This is an incredibly short history of some of the calendars used through the years.

When we acknowledge the first day of a new year is really inconsequential.  In a typical year’s time, we recognize 365 days, 52 weeks, and 12 months.  With leap year coming every four years, to straighten out the imperfection of the Gregorian calendar, this system is extremely accurate in accounting for a year’s time.  We should focus our interests on a particular DAY.  2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the DAY of salvation.)”  Proverbs 27:1 cautions us to, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

“This is the day of salvation.”  Right now!  We cannot boast about tomorrow, that day may never come, or we may not be here to see another tomorrow.  Think about this DAY.  Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?  Have you put your faith in Him as the one and only one who can save you through His sacrificial death on the cross for us.  TODAY, do you know Him?  TODAY, do you have the assurance that you are truly saved and bound for Heaven.  If you died TODAY, can you say that you KNOW you would go to Heaven?

Today there are many calendars.  Besides those mentioned, we have the Chinese calendar who’s new years are determined by cycles based on the solar and lunar systems.  Regardless of how we account time, let’s be sure that we understand that “NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)  (193.10)