When is New Year's Day?
New Year's Day is always January 1, and New Year's Eve is December 31. The next New Year's Day is Friday, January 1, 2027. January 1 is a federal holiday. When it falls on a Saturday, federal employees get the previous Friday, December 31, off; when it falls on a Sunday, the holiday moves to Monday, January 2. New Year's Eve itself is not a federal holiday, though many businesses close early.
New Year's Day for the next eight years
| Year | New Year’s Day | Federal holiday observed |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Friday, January 1, 2027 | Friday, January 1, 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, January 1, 2028 | Friday, December 31, 2027 |
| 2029 | Monday, January 1, 2029 | Monday, January 1, 2029 |
| 2030 | Tuesday, January 1, 2030 | Tuesday, January 1, 2030 |
| 2031 | Wednesday, January 1, 2031 | Wednesday, January 1, 2031 |
| 2032 | Thursday, January 1, 2032 | Thursday, January 1, 2032 |
| 2033 | Saturday, January 1, 2033 | Friday, December 31, 2032 |
| 2034 | Sunday, January 1, 2034 | Monday, January 2, 2034 |
Why the year starts on January 1
New year festivals are among the oldest recorded celebrations; ancient Mesopotamians, for example, marked the new year in spring. The January start comes from Rome. The calendar reform of Julius Caesar, which took effect in 45 BC, began the year on January 1, a month named after Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings who looks both back and forward.
In medieval Europe many regions began the legal year on other dates, such as March 25 or December 25. The Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582 kept January 1, and Catholic countries adopted it first. Britain and its American colonies only made January 1 the official start of the year in 1752, when they also switched to the Gregorian calendar.
How the new year is celebrated
In the U.S. the night of December 31 means parties, fireworks and the countdown to midnight, most famously the ball drop in New York's Times Square, a tradition since 1907. People sing "Auld Lang Syne," based on a 1788 poem by Robert Burns, and make resolutions for the year ahead. On January 1 many watch the Rose Parade and college football bowl games; in the South, black-eyed peas and greens are a traditional good-luck meal. Elsewhere, Spaniards eat twelve grapes at the twelve strokes of midnight and Scots celebrate Hogmanay. The Lunar New Year, celebrated across East and Southeast Asia, follows a different calendar and falls between January 21 and February 20.
Planning with the countdown
- Book New Year's Eve plans early. Restaurants, hotels and event tickets in popular cities fill up weeks ahead, and rideshare prices often spike around midnight, so arrange a safe ride home in advance.
- Finish year-end money tasks. Some deadlines are tied to December 31, such as 401(k) contributions through payroll. See how extra contributions add up with our 401(k) calculator.
- Set resolutions you can measure. A goal with a number attached is easier to track; our savings goal calculator turns a target into a monthly amount.
- Check fireworks rules. Consumer fireworks laws vary by state and city.
Frequently asked questions
What day of the week is New Year's Day 2027?
January 1, 2027 falls on a Friday.
Is New Year’s Eve a federal holiday?
No. Only New Year’s Day, January 1, is a federal holiday. December 31 becomes a day off only when January 1 falls on a Saturday and the holiday is observed on Friday.
Why does the countdown show 1 day on December 31?
The countdown counts to the start of January 1. On New Year’s Eve there is one calendar day left; the new year begins at midnight that night.
Why does the year begin on January 1?
The Roman calendar of Julius Caesar started the year on January 1, and the Gregorian calendar used today kept that start date.
When is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so it moves each year and always falls between January 21 and February 20.
Last updated: October 8, 2026