{"id":55,"date":"2012-11-08T02:57:38","date_gmt":"2012-11-08T08:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/?p=55"},"modified":"2012-12-17T04:04:53","modified_gmt":"2012-12-17T10:04:53","slug":"what-the-scriptures-say-about-keeping-new-years-eve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/?p=55","title":{"rendered":"New Year\u2019s Eve and Janus Worship"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cThe afternoon before New Year\u2019s Eve is unusually calm, then, about 11 o’clock, starts a steady stream of elevated violence; stab wounds or gunshot wounds, teenagers injured in automobile accidents, and battered wives. Alcohol is nearly always a factor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Considering the above, it is hardly surprising that some people refer to the first day of the year as international hangover day. A European news agency says that \u201cNew Year is for the lay hedonist*,\u201d adding that it is \u201cone more round in the eternal battle of man pitched against alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n

Granted, not everyone celebrates the New Year by drinking heavily and committing acts of violence. In fact, many have fond memories of the occasion. \u201cAs children, we could hardly wait for New Year\u2019s Eve,\u201d some may say. \u201cThere were always lots of games, food, and drink. At midnight we would embrace, kiss, and wish one another \u2018Happy New Year!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly, many today feel that they share in New Year\u2019s festivities without going overboard. Still, believers do well to examine the origin and significance of this popular celebration. Do New Year\u2019s festivities conflict with Scripture\u2019s teachings?<\/p>\n

Facts From the Past
\nAs some of you may know, New Year\u2019s festivities are not new. Ancient inscriptions indicate that they were held in Babylon as early as the third millennium B.C.E. The celebration, which was observed in mid-March, was crucial. \u201cAt that time the god Marduk decided the destiny of the country for the coming year,\u201d says The World Book Encyclopedia. The Babylonian new year celebration lasted 11 days and included sacrifices, processions, and fertility rites.<\/p>\n

For a time, the Romans too began their year in the month of March. But in 46 B.C.E., Emperor Julius Caesar decreed that it should begin on the first of January. That day was already dedicated to Janus, the god of beginnings, and now it would also mark the first day of the Roman year. The date changed, but the carnival atmosphere persisted. On the first of January, people \u201cgave themselves up to riotous excess,\u201d says McClintock and Strong\u2019s Cyclopedia, \u201cand various kinds of heathen superstition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even today, superstitious rituals play a part in New Year\u2019s festivities. For example, in some areas of South America, many welcome the New Year while standing on their right foot. Others sound horns and set off firecrackers. According to a Czech custom, New Year\u2019s Eve is a time for eating lentil soup, while a Slovak tradition has people placing money or fish scales under the tablecloth. Such rituals, designed to ward off ill fortune and guarantee prosperity, merely perpetuate the ancient belief that the turn of the year is a time for deciding destinies.<\/p>\n

The Scripture\u2019s View
\nThe Scriptures admonish believers to \u201cwalk decently, not in revelries and drunken bouts.\u201d (Romans 13:12-14; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Peter 4:3) Paul\u2019s reference to \u201crevelries and drunken bouts\u201d may have included those that took place during New Year\u2019s festivities, since these were popular in Rome during the first century. Since New Year\u2019s festivities are often characterized by the very excesses that the Scriptures condemn, believers do not participate in them. This does not mean that believers are killjoys. On the contrary, they know that the Scriptures repeatedly tell worshipers of the true Creator to rejoice\u2014and that for a number of reasons. (Deuteronomy 26:10, 11; Psalm 32:11; Proverbs 5:15-19; Ecclesiastes 3:22; 11:9) The Scriptures also acknowledge that food and drink often accompany rejoicing.\u2014Psalm 104:15; Ecclesiastes 9:7a.<\/p>\n

As we have seen, however, New Year\u2019s celebrations are rooted in pagan customs. False worship is unclean and detestable in the eyes of Yahweh, and believers reject practices that have such origins. (Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Ezekiel 22:3, 4) The apostle Paul wrote: \u201cWhat fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Messiah and Belial?\u201d For good reason, Paul added: \u201cQuit touching the unclean thing.\u201d\u20142 Corinthians 6:14-17a.<\/p>\n

Believers also realize that taking part in superstitious rituals does not guarantee happiness and prosperity\u2014especially since participating in such festivities can result in Yahweh\u2019s disfavor. (Ecclesiastes 9:11; Isaiah 65:11, 12) Furthermore, the Scriptures admonish believers to be moderate and self-controlled in their conduct. (1 Timothy 3:2, 11) Clearly, it would be improper for one who professes to follow Messiah\u2019s teachings to be part of a celebration that is characterized by riotous excess.<\/p>\n

As eye-catching and appealing to the senses as New Year\u2019s festivities may be, the Scriptures tell us to \u201cquit touching the unclean thing\u201d and to \u201ccleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit.\u201d To those who comply, Yahweh extends the heartwarming guarantee: \u201cI will take you in. . . . I shall be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me.\u201d (2 Corinthians 6:17b\u20137:1) Indeed, He promises eternal blessings and prosperity to those who are loyal to Him.\u2014Psalm 37:18, 28; Revelation 21:3, 4, 7.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*hedonist:\u00a0 a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May Yahweh bless your understanding.<\/p>\n

Brought to you by Yahweh is Truth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe afternoon before New Year\u2019s Eve is unusually calm, then, about 11 o’clock, starts a steady stream of elevated violence; stab wounds or gunshot wounds, teenagers injured in automobile accidents, and battered wives. Alcohol is nearly always a factor.\u201d Considering … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[95,94],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-years-eve","tag-truth","tag-yahweh"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136,"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions\/136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=55"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=55"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yahwehistruth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}