January1 Not Sacred, A Mere Creation Of The Colonian Roman Empire, By Sanya Onayoade

January 1 is globally observed, but not globally believed. Every year, as the clock strikes midnight on December 31, billions of people across the world erupt in celebration. They make fervent prayers in worship centres. Fireworks light the skies, resolutions are made, and a familiar phrase echoes everywhere: “Happy New Year.”

But who decided that January 1 is the New Year—and why should it define renewal for everyone? Definitely not God. And Some countries like China, Ethiopia, Iran and Israel don’t even celebrate January 1 as New Year.

January 1, as a New Year Day is a human, political, and historical construct rooted in Roman calendars and later globalized. It is not God-ordained.

Neither the Bible nor Islam prescribes January 1 as New Year.

The ancient Israelites actually celebrated the New Year, Rosh Hashanah, around September or October, and it was tied to the harvest season. In the Bible, the month of Nisan (around March-April) was considered the first month of the year (Exodus 12:2), but this wasn’t exactly a celebration of the New Year like we do today.

The celebration of January 1 as New Year Day has its roots in ancient Roman culture. The Roman calendar, reformed under Julius Caesar in 46 BCE, established January as the first month, named after Janus, the Roman god of doors, beginnings, and transitions—depicted with two faces looking backward and forward.

The date gained further prominence because Roman consuls assumed office in January, making it a convenient political and administrative marker. Over time, as European powers expanded globally, the Gregorian calendar—introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582—became the dominant civil calendar worldwide.

In essence, it is emblematic of colonisation for the rest of the world to embrace January 1 because it was universalised through empire domination, colonization and bureaucracy, and not through spiritual mandate.

Why is this important?

I believe there should be 365 new year days depending on what individuals choose for themselves. The concept of “new” refers to a moment of beginning, difference, or renewal—when something departs from what existed before and presents itself as fresh in meaning, form, or experience.

Something is new not simply because it has never existed, but because it is perceived differently. Newness arises when: there is change from a previous state, there is awareness of that change, and there is meaning attached to it.

In this sense, “new” is both objective and subjective. A calendar date can be new, but so can an idea, a decision, a relationship, or a mindset—even if the elements involved already existed. Someone who loses their spouse on January 1 may not glorify that day as new. And someone may embrace the newness of a day like October 14 (which is my birthday and my New Year Day) if he gets a life-turning appointment.

As I write this, some nations have marked the New Year, some are marking it right now and some are still looking forward to it. But in all, it is the creation of one man, or one empire that foisted it on the rest of the world.

Let’s dig deep.

Is January 1 Biblical? Simply, No.

The Bible does not identify January 1 as the beginning of the year. The Scripture presents multiple “beginnings”, depending on context:
*Exodus 12:2 declares the month of Nisan (around March–April) as the beginning of months for Israel, tied to the Passover and liberation from Egypt.
*Biblical timekeeping is deeply agricultural, seasonal, and covenantal—linked to planting, harvest, feasts, and acts of God.
Even the concept of a fixed calendar New Year celebration is absent from both the Old and New Testaments.