A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Have you ever wondered how our ancestors celebrated New Year’s Eve worldwide? The history of New Year celebrations goes back to ancient times, and some traditions have survived for thousands of years.
Babylonian Akitu Festival
The earliest known New Year celebrations were in Mesopotamia and date back to 2000 B.C. Following the first New Moon after the vernal equinox in late March, the Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia would honor the rebirth of the natural world with a multi-day festival called Akitu.
During the Akitu, statues of the gods were paraded through the city streets. All significant rites were enacted to symbolize their victory over the forces of chaos. The Babylonians believed the world was symbolically cleansed with the help of rituals and recreated by the gods. The goal was to prepare for the New Year and spring return.
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