New Year's Day

Julian and Gregorian Calendars

Nation	Date that is first day of the year	Time Period
England and Ireland	25 March (Annunciation Day)	Before 6th century.
	25 December (Christmas)	6th century to 1066
	1 January	1067 to 1155
	25 March	1155 to 1750-51
	1 January	1 January 1752 to present. The day after 31 December 1751 was called 1 January 1752. There was no January, February or March in 1751. (24 George II. c 23)
Scotland	25 March	Before 1600.
Scotland	1 January	1 January 1600 to present. The day after 31 December 1599 was called 1 January 1600. There was no January, February or March in 1599. (Proclamation dated 17 December 1599.)
France	various: Christmas, Easter-eve, 25 March	Before 1564.
France	1 January	1 January 1564 to present. Edict of Charles IX, 4 August 1563, adopted 1567 by the Parliament of Paris, 1589 by Church of Beauvais.
Lorraine	25 December	Before 1579.
Lorraine	1 January	1 January 1579 to present
Germany	Christmas	Anciently.
Germany	1 January	1 January 1544 to present
Venice	1 March (Legal Year) 1 January (Civil Year)	Before 1522.
Venice	1 January for both	1 January 1522 to present
Italy	Christmas	13th-15th centuries
Sweden	1 January	At least from 1559.
Denmark	Christmas or 11 August (Feast of St. Tiburce)	Before 1559
Denmark	1 January	1 January 1559 to present
Portugal	1 January	Before 1420
	Christmas	1420 (by order of John I) to 1555
	1 January	1 January 1556 to present
Aragon	1 January	Before 1350.
Aragon	Christmas	1350 (by order of Peter IV) to 1555
Castile	1 January	Before 1383.
Castile	Christmas	1383 (by order of John I) to 1555
Spain	1 January	1 January 1556 to present
Roman Catholic Netherlands	1 January	1 January 1556 to present.
Protestant Netherlands	1 January	1 January 1583 to present.
Russia	1 January	1 January 1725 to present.
Prussia	Christmas	anciently
Prussia	1 January	1559

Asian calendars

Lunar New Year is the beginning of the year in many Asian calendars.

In the United States, this date is often referred to as “Chinese New Year.” This name sometimes offends Asians who are not of Chinese descent, who feel it smacks of Chinese hegemony. See, for example, Joon Y. Lee, letter to the editor, New York Times, January 28, 1995.