Many cultures began the new year in spring rather than in the middle of winter.

The longer version

Spring marks regrowth: fields thaw, animals breed, and planting begins. Societies that marked the year's start there were following the agricultural cycle rather than a number on a chart. A year that begins with sowing makes practical sense to a farmer, and the old Roman March reflects that pattern.

Moving the start to midwinter came later, tied to administrative convenience and to the winter solstice, when days begin lengthening. The choice survives even in places where the season has little visible meaning. Several traditions still observe a spring new year alongside the civil one, so calendars carry two competing ideas of beginning at once.

Where this entry sits

These facts wander through clocks, calendars, time zones, and the long human effort to measure passing hours. You will find leap years, odd month lengths, ancient sundials, and the reasons modern timekeeping works the way it does. The full list sits on the Time and Calendars page, where every entry is listed in order.