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New Year’s Day

New Year's Day is the first day in the Gregorian calendar. Many people choose to celebrate this day with members of their family, preferring a quiet day in after the previous nights' celebrations.

Upcoming Dates & Where They Are Celebrated

New Year's Day falls on January 1st each year. The day before is New Years Eve, in which there are parties and celebrations to ring in the new year. Here are the upcoming dates for New Year's:

  • Sunday, January 1, 2017
  • Monday, January 1, 2018
  • Tuesday, January 1, 2019
  • Wednesday, January 1, 2020
  • Friday, January 1, 2021
  • Saturday, January 1, 2022
  • Sunday, January 1, 2023
  • Monday, January 1, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Where Is New Year's Day Considered A Holiday?

New Year's Day is considered a holiday throughout Ireland. Along with most of the world. All government offices, banks and post offices are closed on New Year's Day. There is unlikely to be public transportation. There are often traffic delays, due to the parades and festivals. Individual shops may be open, but not for their regular hours. Many pubs may choose to remain open as well. It is a decision that each owner is given to make. When New Year's Day falls on a Monday, it is a long weekend. Many may choose to travel if they have the day off work.

Festivities & Events During New Year's Day

Although it is winter and rather cold, many places organize a dip. This is in the Irish Sea or Atlantic Ocean and more common in coastal towns. This is to celebrate the New Year. The dip can range from a toe in the water, to fully swimming. There are also parades held on New Year's Day. In Dublin, this parade is large and draws in attention from many different places. This parade has marching bands, musicians and other similar groups. Smaller parades may be held in other towns and cities. These would focus on local events within the town. It could be religious or spiritual or celebrating the upcoming year. Families may also prefer to spend a quiet day at home, following the celebration of New Years Eve the night before.

A Brief History Of New Year's Day

There have always been celebrations at the end of autumn. These were to mark the end of the harvest season. It was common for feasts and celebrations to be held. There were often organized social events as well. The first time New Year's Day was observed as public holiday was in 1974, after being introduced the year before. Prior to that, it was considered a church holiday as of 1961.