In many countries of South Asia and South East Asia, the traditional new year is calculated on the sun's entry into theconstellation Aries as per the regionalHindu calendars orBuddhist calendars. The sun's entry into Aries is known asSankranti andSongkran in South and Southeast Asian cultures respectively.[1]
In modern times, it is usually reckoned around 14 April.
As most countries and cultures of South and Southeast Asia lie within theIndian cultural sphere, the development of their traditional calendars has been strongly influenced by theHindu calendar. As in many other calendars, the New Year was based on the northern hemispherevernal equinox (the beginning of spring). However, theHindu calendar year was based on theNirayana orsidereal year (i.e. the movement of the sun relative to the stars), while the WesternGregorian calendar is based on thetropical year (the cycle of seasons).
In ancient times, thesun's entry into Aries coincided with the equinox. However, due to the earth'saxial precession, the sidereal year is slightly longer than the tropical year, causing the dates to gradually drift apart. Today, the sun's entry into Aries occurs around 18 April, according to astronomical definitions.[2] Some traditional calendars are still marked by the sun's actual movements while others have since been fixed to the Gregorian calendar.
The sun's entry into Aries is known asmeṣa saṅkrānti inSanskrit and is observed asMesha Sankranti and Songkran in India and Southeast Asian cultures.[1]
The specific New Year observances include:
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