Several countries do not celebrate the New Year on January 1st according to the Gregorian calendar, opting instead for their own traditional, religious, or cultural calendars. Key examples include Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Nepal, and China, which celebrate their respective New Years at different times.
No, Muslims do not typically celebrate the Gregorian New Year on January 1st as a religious holiday; their actual New Year is the Hijri New Year, beginning on the first day of Muharram, marked by prayer, reflection, and remembrance, not festive parties like December 31st. While some Muslims in diverse cultural settings might join secular New Year's Eve festivities out of cultural adaptation, it isn't an Islamic tradition, with many viewing it as imitating non-Muslim customs or celebrating non-religious events, focusing instead on their own calendar's significant dates like Eid.
There are only four countries which have not adopted the Gregorian calendar for civil use: Ethiopia (Ethiopian calendar), Nepal (Vikram Samvat and Nepal Sambat), Iran (Solar Hijri calendar) and Afghanistan (Lunar Hijri Calendar).
January 1st marks the start of the civil (Gregorian) calendar, not the Jewish one. In Judaism, the New Year is Rosh Hashanah, centered on reflection, accountability, and renewal — not fireworks or midnight countdowns.
It is the only Jewish holiday that is purely religious and not tied to historical or natural events. Rosh Hashanah, which means “new year” in Hebrew, is a time of family gatherings and religious celebrations.
Why You Should NOT Celebrate New Year’s Eve (Watch Before 2026)
Which country will not celebrate Christmas?
These countries don't celebrate Christmas: Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macao), Comoros, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, ...
As Muslims, we are encouraged to reflect, repent, and renew our intentions daily — not once a year through borrowed traditions. Preserving our Islamic identity is an act of obedience, and obedience is greater than any celebration.
Which country is the first to celebrate the New Year? Kiritimati Island, one of the 33 islands that make up the Republic of Kiribati (pronounced KIH-rih-bahss), is the first inhabited land mass to usher in the New Year.
Ethiopia follows its own calendar, which is about 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar used in most of the world. It has 13 months and a different system for counting years, meaning the country will enter 2019 when much of the world is already in 2026. Different calendar.
The Quran doesn't mention the Gregorian New Year (January 1st); instead, it emphasizes the Islamic Hijri calendar for significant events, encouraging spiritual reflection, repentance (taubah), and gratitude (shukr) for time, often focusing on verses about time and creation. While some scholars deem celebrating Jan 1st a forbidden imitation of non-Muslims, others suggest permissible actions like returning greetings if initiated, focusing on the Islamic New Year (Muharram) as the true spiritual marker, and using verses like Surah Al-Fatiha for reflection.
1. Kullu aa'min wa antum bikhair. Translated to “wishing you blessings throughout the year,” “kullu aa'min wa antum bikhair” is the most common phrase used when the clock ticks past midnight. The reply here is “wa antum bikhair”, which means “may you also be blessed”.
As Muslims, we do not regard Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve as having intrinsic value. Rather, we celebrate our own special holidays prescribed to us by Allah (SWT) and based upon our own eventful Islamic history.
For these nations, January 1 is just another day, as their traditional systems of timekeeping define the rhythm of their years. Let's explore Ethiopia, Nepal, Iran, and Afghanistan—four countries that won't be celebrating New Year's Day 2025.
TIL, in Bhutan, people do not recognize, and many do not know, their individual birthdays. Everyone in the country turns another year older together each January 1st.
In 1873, Japan officially adopted the Gregorian calendar, aligning its system with the West in a bold modernization effort. The New Year was permenantly moved to January 1st, based on the solar calendar, and the lunar celebration gradually faded or moved to this date.
1. United States. The United States ranks at the top in the list of the top 10 powerful countries. The United States has one of the most powerful and modern militaries in the world.
The first country to enter 2025 is the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, specifically its Line Islands like Kiritimati (Christmas Island), which are in the UTC+14 time zone, making them the earliest to see the new year before other nations. They welcome January 1st hours before most of the world due to their location just west of the International Date Line.
Since God set the first month of the year on the sacred calendar to begin in what we call March or April, obviously it is not God's new year (Exodus 12:2; Deuteronomy 16:1). And God didn't command a celebration for that day either.
Unlike the typical New Year Celebrations that are observed by non Muslims in the west and in our country who follows the gregorian calendar which include ” boisterous gaiety and fireworks display, Muslims observe Muharram or the Islamic New Year with deep solemnity and reverence”.
Saudi Arabia has officially permitted the celebration of non-Muslim religious holidays, including Christmas, as well as Christian and Jewish festivities. The decision was approved by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
Yes, Japan celebrates Christmas, but as a largely secular, commercial, and romantic event rather than a religious holiday, with unique traditions like KFC for dinner and strawberry shortcake, especially focusing on Christmas Eve as a date night, though December 25th isn't a federal holiday. Cities light up with stunning illuminations, restaurants offer special menus, and couples exchange gifts, while the general population enjoys it as a festive winter occasion, distinct from Western religious observances.
