[SCA-BMDL] Medieval New Years celebrations?

[Douglas Wade Needham]

Cai,

I have to ask... which "New Year"?  While we generally view it as
being Jan 1, there are many others, depending on their culture, and on
whether their calendar is solar or lunar based.  For example, the most
visible alternate one many of us are familiar with is the Chinese New
Year, which is a lunar based date which is between Jan 21 and Feb 21.
For the Jewish calendar, which is also lunar based, the holiday still
observed is Rosh Hashanah, which occurs during the fall.  Then there
is the Celtic festival of Samhain, which my persona would have
observed.  While solar based, it is a mid-season day, which lies at
the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.

Now, more in keeping with what I suspect you were looking for, look
into things such as Yule and 12th Night.  While also tied to the
winter solstice, these would be the holidays traditionally promoted by
the Catholic Church in period.

If you want, we can discuss this in more detail tomorrow at the meeting.

- Cinn


Quoting Jeff Hoskinson (jeffhos at eclecsia.org):
> Does anyone have any information or references for ways the New Year  
> was celebrated in the middle ages?
> 
> Thanks,
> -- Cai
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