The ancient people used to celebrate the New Year at harvest time. The rituals they observed purified them for the New Year. At least that is what they left behind.
Today, the New Year kicks off on the eve of December 31, the last day of Gregorian calendar, and continues into the early hours of January 01, the New Year's Day.
In 46 BC, the Roman ruler Julius Caesar (100 BC- 44 BC) established the New Year's Day on January 1st. The Romans were dedicated to Janus, the God of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus who has two faces - one looks forward and the other looks backward.
In 56 AD, the Christian church outlawed the practices of New Year which was introduced by Julius Caesar.
During the medieval period, many European nations used to celebrate March 25 as an Annunciation Day, which is known as Christian Holiday. By 1600, many Western nations adopted a revised calendar named Gregorian calendar which is used today. As a result, January 1st was restored as the New Year's Day.
Almost all the world today uses the Gregorian calendar. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII (1502-1585) established it to correct the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was established on the basis of the solar year.
For the Muslims the New Year is the 1st day of Muharram, the first month of Hijri (Hegira) calendar, based on lunar calendar. Under lunar calendar, a year has 354 days. The solar year, followed by Gregorian calendar, has 365 days. The Hijri New Year, needing adjustment of 11 days, falls on different dates from year to year.
Like most ancient people, Bangladesh celebrates the Naba Barsha (New Year) at harvest time. There is an ultimate relation between Bangla calendar and agriculture. Cultivation and harvest are related to the seasons.
In 1556, the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1542-1605) ascended the throne of Delhi, India. Before Akbar, the Mughal emperors used the Islamic Hijri calendar. Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar.
The Hijri calendar follows the lunar year. The farmers could not figure out the fiscal year to pay taxes because the lunar year consists of 354 days whereas the solar year has 365 days. By adjusting 11 days, in 1584, Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar to facilitate revenue collection and farming. The new calendar was given effect from his accession to the throne in 1556.
Amir Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar and the royal astronomer of Akbar, formulated the Bangla calendar, adapting it to the solar year to suit the farmers. They could then raise crops and pay taxes without the difficulty caused by the variation of 11 days in the previous calendar.
The Bangla calendar was called 'Fosholi Shon' or Harvest Calendar and later it was known as Bonggabda (Bangla Era) as well as Bangla Shon.
Choitro is the last month of the Bangla calendar. It was customary for farmers to clear up all the dues on the last day of Choitro.
Boishakh is the first month of Bangla calendar. The name of Boishakh was derived from the position of the sun near the star Bishaka. The first day of Boishakh is known as the Pohela Boishakh, the Bangla New Year's Day, the celebration of which began from the reign of Akbar.
The words 'Shon' and 'Tarikh,' derive from Arabic, meaning year (calendar) and day respectively. The word Sal is Persian which also denotes year (calendar). So during the medieval period, both Arabic and Persian cultures influenced the Bangla calendar.
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