www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Does the West celebrate the New Church Year Sept 1?

Greetings and Happy New Year!

Yesterday, I greeted my Roman in-laws with Happy New Year. They thougth I nearly lost my mind.
At any rate, does the Western Church observe and liturgically celebrate September 1 as the beginning of the New Church Year or does it wait until the real partying begins on Dec 31? Just curious.

Rob,

Neither, in the Latin Church the Liturgical New Year begins on the the first Sunday of Advent. In the Roman Rite that is the first Sunday on or after Nov 30, Feast of St. Andrew, in the Ambrosian and Mozarabic Rites it is the first Sunday after Nov 11, Feast of St. Martin of Tours.

In Christ,
Lance

Thanks Lance.

However, I have another question for you. Did not the First Ecumenical Council decree that the Ecclesiastical New Year begin in September? I know we are close to our Jewish roots because I noticed Rosh Hashanna is right around the corner. Did not the Latins break our canon if they are celebrating the first Sunday on or after Nov 30? How did they come to celebrate on or after Nov 30? I thought Rome did celebrate with us on Sept. 1 before the Schism? My curiosity continues.

I had heard that the First Ecumenical Council declared that the ecclesiastical new year started on 1 September, but only last week. We've never, to my knowledge, celebrated the new year on this date, but rather around the first Sunday of November.

Methodists, at least in the UK, begin their "connexional year" on 1 September. Working for a nominally Methodist charity means that August is my favourite month (just about everyone else goes off on holiday and I can have some peace and quiet!)

Andrij

[ 09-02-2002: Message edited by: KO63AP ]

The Mozarabic Rite, the Galican Rite and the other western rites, are dead rites, they are history.
I know there's a small parish in Toledo that follows a version of the Mozarabic Rite, but they use the modern catholic calendar (the new calendar that supressed the fests of the Saints)and it isn't truly authentic.

Rob,

A quick look at the Canons of Nicea and I couldn't find it, a local council perhaps? Also each of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church also have different liturgical New Years as well. I am guessing this was something in force the Byzantine Churches of the Empire. To be honest starting the Liturgical year based on Christ's birth rather than an extinct empire's calendar makes more sense.

For example, the Maronites, Ambrosians, and Mozarabics all celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation sometime in Advent. The Maronites the second Sunday of Advent (fifth Sunday before Christmas) the Ambrosians the last Sunday before Christmas, and the Mozarabics Dec 18, which makes Christmas the Octave of the Annunciation. This is due in part because they take seriously the rule of no feasts in Great Lent and what better way to start the Liturgical year than celebrating the Conception of Christ. It also makes for a very balanced Liturgical season that focuses on the Incarnation, starting with His Conception, moving to His Birth, to His Adoration by the Magi, and concluding with His Baptism.

In Christ,
Lance

Remie,

You are incorrect. I have it on good authority the Mozarabic and Ambrosian Rites continue with their own calendars. Also, the new calendar did suppress the feasts of some saints, but most were left in place.

In Christ,
Lance

[ 09-02-2002: Message edited by: Lance ]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Well that may be your opinion Lance, but I like the fact of 1 week after the start of the new year that we celebrate the Nativitiy of the Theotokos. Seems like a good place to start since it happened first, no? Plus I like that it starts on the 1st of the month. God Bless.

IC XC NIKA,
-Nik!

The Ruthenian Typicon for September 1st said that it was the beginning of year 7511 in the Byzantine reckoning. Does anyone know what event marked year 1 (or 0)?

-- Ed Klages

I thought everyone knew there was no year 0? That's why the millenium was 2001 and not 2000. Maybe there is in the "Byzantine reckoning."

Nik,

Following that logic the Mother of God's Conception occured first so were back to Dec.

In Christ,
Lance

Dear Friends,

I thought I read somewhere that the New Year, before the Gregorian Calendar came into use, was observed on March 1st. Or was that only for civil puposes?

Also, by the Orthodox reckoning (Julian Calendar), is it not still August?

Have a Happy New Year !!!

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck

This is what I found surfing the web:

"The Byzantine Empire used a year starting on 1 Sep, but they didn't count years since the birth of Christ, instead they counted years since the creation of the world which they dated to 1 September 5509 B.C.E."

Any thoughts?

Dear Friends,

Just some thoughts here . . .

The Ethiopians celebrate THE new year in September and don't mark it in January. One of our parishes has taken to calling September 14 (Julian Calendar) as the "Ukrainian New Year."

This might make sense, given that Ukraine celebrates the secular new year on January 1st and then celebrates the Nativity on January 7th . . .

The West hasn't always marked the new year on the first Sunday of Advent.

Centuries back, Christmas Day was also the Church New Year's Day. That tradition still holds today as January 1st is the Octave of Christmas.

The Roman April 1st as new year's continued for centuries and March 31st is still considered to be the "fiscal year end."

The Assyrians and Chaldeans follow the "Nestorian Calendar" but I haven't any idea of when there new year's day is.

In any event, the "Church New Year" in September is confusing since those who follow the Old Calendar celebrate the "Church New Year" on January 14th.

The fact is that our Church liturgically commemorates the new year in September and has no similar celebration for January.

The Celts celebrate their new year on November 1st as I understand, the beginning of Samhain.

Alex