Happy New Year! Or Maybe Not?

The song, "Auld Lang Syne," is sung at the stroke of midnight in many English-speaking countries around the world to bring in the New Year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in 1788, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scottish tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago/since," or simply as some would say, "the good old days." You may not know, but there are numerous New Year days every year. Cultures that measure yearly calendars all have New Year celebrations and nearly every culture has its own traditions. For instance, the Western world calls this 2021, which goes back to an arbitrary year picked by a monk centuries ago to begin counting years anew from Jesus’ birth. The Hebrew civil year shows a different year (5782 from creation), which begins each September—and with typical flair, the Jews will also have a second New Year in the spring which begins their sacred year. The Muslims are working on the year 1443—why—they follow a calendar with years that consist of 354 days, which is 11 days shorter than that of the Western world. What is the truth about New Year's? How did the celebration of New Year's begin? Why is the beginning of a year placed in the middle of winter? And where did the many customs surrounding it originate? “There is scarcely a people, ancient or modern, savage or civilized, which had not observed it [New Year]…in one form or another. Yet no other festival has been celebrated on so many different dates or in so many seemingly different ways” (New Year by Theodor H. Gaster). New Year’s is one of the oldest and most universal of all pagan traditions. The custom of celebrating it has remained essentially unchanged from its conception and is closely associated with what we call Christmas today. When and how did New Year’s celebrations originate? Who began the custom? What proof does history give to us? We get an informative answer from Earl W. Count in his book 4000 Years of Christmas: “Mesopotamia is the very ancient Mother of Civilization. Christmas began there, over 4000 years ago, as the festival which renewed the world for another year. The ‘twelve days’ of Christmas; the bright Yule log; the giving of presents; the carnivals with their floats, their merrymakings and clownings, the mummers who sing and play from house to house; the feastings; the church processions with their lights and song—all these and more began here centuries before Christ was born. And they celebrated the arrival of a new year!” (pp. 20-21). That is how it began. It began in ancient Babylon as a pagan custom of ancient sun-worship 2000 years before the birth of the Son of God—Jesus Christ. Although widely accepted today as the norm, the celebration is never once commanded in the Bible. Moses forbade it. Jesus and the apostles never observed it. Some will wonder if it is really that big of a deal. After all, it’s great fun; it’s a time for family and friends to get together. Does it really matter? The Bible replies, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them’” (Jer. 10:2). It matters to God! As is often the case, the New Year's festivities that had originated in ancient Babylon eventually found their way to Greece and finally to Rome—the Romans called it Saturnalia—in honor of their god Saturn. Saturnalia was very popular and consisted of partying, drinking, orgies and finally human sacrifice. “The first day of the Saturnalia shifted during the lifetime of Rome…it began around the middle of December…and continued until January first. In its midst was December twenty-fifth, the day, as the Romans calculated, when the sun was at its lowest ebb…” (4000 Years of Christmas, page 28). Also notice this quote from Wikipedia: In countries governed by the Gregorian calendar, the celebration of New Year is celebrated on January 1, the date that is considered the most festive of them…Traditionally, the Roman calendar began the first day of March. However, it was in January (the eleventh month) when the consuls of ancient Rome assumed the government. Julius Caesar, in 47 BC, changed the system, creating the Julian calendar, with some modifications in the time of Marco Antonio consul in 44 BC, the emperor Augustus Caesar in 8 BC and finally by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, is used today. In this year begins on January 1. Subsequently, the Gregorian calendar had the habit and the celebration was marked with a religious significance during the Middle Ages and later centuries.With the expansion of Western culture to the rest of the world during the twentieth century, the January 1 date became universal in nature, even in countries with their own New Year celebrations (e.g., China). History shows that it was Julius Caesar, Emperor of pagan Rome, who instituted the New Year’s festival on the first of January. Caesar adopted the Julian calendar and transferred to January 1st all of the licentious practices surrounding the Roman Saturnalia. But how did such a thoroughly pagan day ever intimate itself into our modern Christian calendar and into the Church? You know the adage, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Rather than resist the influence of pagan customs, the early Catholic Church fathers simply compromised. Earl W. Count continues: “There were many immigrants into the ranks of the Christians by this time [375 A.D.]. The Church Fathers discovered to their alarm that they were also facing an invasion of pagan customs. The habit of Saturnalia was too strong to be left behind. At first the Church forbade it, but in vain” (page 31). This is a classic story of compromise. He goes on to write, “The Church finally succeeded in taking the merriment, the greenery, the lights, and the gifts from Saturn and giving them to the Babe of Bethlehem…The pagan Romans became Christians—but the Saturnalia remained!” (E.W. Count, page 31.) The rest is history! The Bible reveals an earlier beginning stage of this apostasy. Paul writes, “But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain” (Gal. 4:8-11). Some try to justify themselves by attempting to prove that Paul was condemning Jews for returning to the Sabbath and Holy Days, which were a part of the Law of Moses, but what are “times?” Turn in your Bible to Lev. 19:26, “Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times” (KJV). Moses, according to God’s instructions, told the Israelites not to observe times, i.e. pagan days (New Year's), which is what Paul was referring too. In fact, the context of Galatians 4 shows that Paul changes his target audience and now addresses the new Gentile converts of the church: He is speaking to Gentile converts who, remember, did not previously know God—they did not serve the living God (1 Tim. 3:15), but false gods and their associated idols. Now, false teachers were coming among those in the church, perverting the true gospel and enticing them to turn back to their old pagan ways. Paul was understandably alarmed! These Galatians were not observing the Holy Days (Lev. 23) God instituted, but the old pagan days—customs they came out of—days which were now already creeping into the first century church in Paul’s day, which today masquerade under a false “Christian” pretense. The Apostle Paul denounces such hopeless practices! The Bible is God’s mind in print and records very clearly God’s opinion in this matter. Moses writes: “take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods” (Deut. 12:30-31). It is quite simple; God does not compromise. God labels New Year's pagan. Today, New Year's Eve has become a time for people to wallow in excesses—particularly that of liquor (Eph. 5:18). The modern attitude seems to be, “have a wild time tonight” and “turn over a new leaf tomorrow.” Resolutions become a big deal this time of year. For instance, people decide to exercise and join an aerobics class, but many only last a few weeks. According to one source, 92% of all resolutions sadly end in failure. Too often, resolutions are empty and meaningless, usually insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Many people may still ponder and wonder if God is really concerned with their modern reveling, drunken parties and promiscuous behavior. God does not condone observing a pagan festival and certainly not in the name of Christ. He says so, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (Mark 7:7-9). Yes, the professing Christian world praises and practices customs and days of pagan origin—thinly cloaking them in “Christian” sounding names, but it does not make it right! The Bible reveals that it was God who created the universe. He set the earth’s rotation, which regulates the length of a day—the lunar phases indicating the length of a month and the orbit of the earth around the sun dictating the length of a year—respectfully then, only God has the authority to set the date of the New Year. When does God begin a new year? God’s sacred calendar year begins in the spring—not in the middle of a dead winter as noted in Exodus 12:1-2. Abib (green ears) is the first month of the sacred calendar and corresponds to our March-April—early spring. Yet, the Bible speaks of a great false religious system which will try to change or counterfeit everything God has ordained. The prophet Daniel records: “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time” (7:25). This system has deliberately thought to change the beginning of God’s calendar year to hide God’s plan of salvation from mankind. But, in truth, man has no true authority to change God’s master-clock. Satan, however, has cleverly deceived the world into believing the New Year begins on January 1st. Don’t kid yourself, the very same pagan practices God out-rightly condemns in the Old Testament are being perpetuated in our modern world today! The very same festivals of paganism adopted by ancient Israel have become an integral part of our modern society. What was the result then in following the pagan customs? God allowed Israel to go into captivity and be carried away (2 Kings 17:15-23). To this day, Israel has never returned as a nation to the land of Palestine. Israel was lost; they became the lost ten tribes! Her identity was concealed until our modern times. Do you suppose this could happen again or has God changed His mind about compromising with paganism? The prophet Malachi reveals this vital part of God’s character: “For I am the Lord, I do not change…” (3:6). Some may think that only applies in the Old Testament, but also notice Hebrews 13:8 and you will find these same words reiterated. Modern paganism will be punished! Notice these stark warnings given to the modern nations of Israel today: “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols” (Ezek. 20:39). In other words, God is saying, “Be pagan if you insist; but STOP calling it Christian!” God continues to warn modern Israel against the holidays of paganism through Hosea, “I will also cause all her mirth to cease, Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths—All her appointed feasts… I will punish her For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot,” says the Lord” (2:11, 13). Does it really make any difference if we would observe a pagan custom like New Year's? Apparently, it does to God! And He dictates that the same punishment awaits any nation today that forsakes His law—His Holy Days—and replaces or counterfeits them by observing pagan days of worship. God prophesies of a final revival of the Babylonian mystery religion in great power at the end of this age, just before He cuts short man’s self rule and misrule over the earth. He openly warns, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4). New Year's celebration began in Babylon 4000 years ago as a heathen custom. It is practiced today by almost every people on the face of the earth. Satan has indeed deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9). How about you? To learn more of God’s truths, as taught by His true apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, please visit: https://elertsonm.wixsite.com/thefisherman https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmcGhkBXkTr15TBPXN4HXcg/videos https://www.facebook.com/MElertson7