Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<br /> The year 2014 is just two days old, marking the beginning of yet another <keyword id="89477" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gregorian-calendar">Gregorian calendar</keyword> year. But revellers who painted the town red and want more party time need not lose heart. Officially, the year has taken off on January 1, but the regional variants of the New Year’s Day still prevail in a country like India – home to a colourful mélange of cultures and traditions. So we are yet to experience a spate of <keyword id="471694" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="New-Year-festivities">New Year festivities</keyword>, celebrated from <keyword id="6354495" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword> to Kanyakumari, from the <keyword id="53478" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="North-East">north-east</keyword> to the western coast.<br />
 <br /> Interestingly, both the Gregorian calendar (introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582) and the previous <keyword id="89476" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Julian-calendar">Julian calendar</keyword> (first implemented by Julius Caesar in 46 BC) kick off on the same day – January 1. The Romans originally dedicated the first day of the year to Janus, the god of gates, doors and beginnings, and January, the first month of the year, was named after him. Later on, most nations in Western Europe officially started the New Year from January 1. The UK was a late adopter, though, and observed New Year’s Day on <keyword id="47282" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="march">March</keyword> 25, popularly known as Lady Day since it celebrated Virgin Mary and the Feast of the Annunciation. This practice stayed in England up to 1752.<br />
 <br /> Closer home, we have many time-reckoning systems but the most significant among them is the <keyword id="1998432" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sakabda">Sakabda</keyword> or the <keyword id="1998433" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saka-calendar">Saka calendar</keyword>. It was introduced in 78 AD, most probably by the Kushan ruler Kanishka, and was even used in other countries such as Kampuchea and Indonesia. Another one is the popular <keyword id="1998435" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bangabda">Bangabda</keyword> or the <keyword id="1282409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bengali-calendar">Bengali Calendar</keyword>, a <keyword id="1998436" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Solar-calendar">solar calendar</keyword> started by Mughal emperor <keyword id="6363995" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Akbar">Akbar</keyword> in 1584 AD. Then there is the <keyword id="1998437" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hijri-New-Year">Hijri New Year</keyword>, also known as the <keyword id="1926173" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Islamic-new-year">Islamic New Year</keyword>, which started in 610 AD when <keyword id="6358086" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prophet-Muhammad">Prophet Muhammad</keyword> migrated from Mecca to <keyword id="89362" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Medina">Medina</keyword>.<br />
 <br /> With so many calendars around and so many regional New Year’s Days to celebrate, it’s time to soak in the traditional rituals once more, mostly observed during the months of <keyword id="368788" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chaitra">Chaitra</keyword> and <keyword id="1998439" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Baishakh">Baishakh</keyword> (March-April). Here’s a quick look at the key events.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><keyword id="4349969" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Navreh">Navreh</keyword> – Kashmir:</strong> Let us start with Navreh, the New Year’s Day in the <keyword id="911185" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lunar-calendar">lunar calendar</keyword> and observed on the <keyword id="1998440" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shukla-Pratipada">Shukla Pratipada</keyword> (first day of the waxing moon) in the month of Chaitra (March-April). It is the <keyword id="1998441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Oldest-New-Year-celebration">oldest New Year celebration</keyword>, and finds mention in historical works such as <em>Nilamat Purana</em>, <keyword id="1998443" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kalhana">Kalhana</keyword>’s <em><keyword id="1998442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajtarangini">Rajtarangini</keyword></em> and Persian scholar <keyword id="1792427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Al-Biruni">Al-Biruni</keyword>’s writing. Each household prepares the ‘<keyword id="1998444" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Holi-thali">holi thali</keyword>’ with great care, containing food, flower and other essentials, and it is viewed at the dawn of Navreh while family members pray for <keyword id="6383453" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wealth">wealth</keyword>, knowledge and <keyword id="23119" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="good-luck">good luck</keyword>. From this day, <keyword id="1998445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nav-Durga-Puja">Nav Durga Puja</keyword> or <keyword id="31525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Navratra">Navratra</keyword> also begins in Kashmir and continues for 9 days.<br />
 <br />
<strong><keyword id="1296432" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chaitti">Chaitti</keyword> – <keyword id="6358126" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Himachal-Pradesh">Himachal Pradesh</keyword>: </strong>In this hill state, the New Year’s Day is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra according to the <keyword id="1998446" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vikrami-calendar">Vikrami calendar</keyword> and festivals such as <keyword id="48284" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="navratri">Navratri</keyword> and <keyword id="1998448" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ralli-Puja">Ralli Puja</keyword> are held throughout the month in honour of Goddess Durga/Bhagwati. The month-long Ralli Puja ends in the marriage of Lord Shiva and the goddess as spinsters seek blessings of the divine duo for a spouse like Lord Shiva.<br />
 <br />
<strong><keyword id="42862" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ugadi">Ugadi</keyword> – <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> &amp; <keyword id="6354780" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Karnataka">Karnataka</keyword>: </strong>It is celebrated on the same day as Navreh, in the month of Chaitra, and marks the beginning of the South Indian lunar year. People of these southern states believe that Lord Brahma began the creation of the universe on this auspicious day. Houses are decorated with mango leaves and <em><keyword id="202308" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rangoli">rangoli</keyword></em> designs; Panchanga or the <keyword id="1998452" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Religious-almanac">religious almanac</keyword> is recited and puja offerings are made for a prosperous New Year. Ugadi <em><keyword id="758269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="pachadi">pachadi</keyword></em>, the traditional dish of six flavours made of <keyword id="6441002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="neem">neem</keyword>, <keyword id="137842" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="jaggery">jaggery</keyword> &amp; banana, salt, green chilli/pepper, tamarind juice and unripe mango, is also relished on this occasion to acknowledge six different aspects of life.<br />
 <br />
<strong><keyword id="608876" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gudhi-Padva">Gudhi Padva</keyword> – <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword> &amp; <keyword id="826" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Goa">Goa</keyword>: </strong>Observed on the same day as Navreh and Ugadi (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada), the New Year festivities in these states celebrate the bounty of Nature. Houses are decked up with rangoli and colourful <em>gudhi</em> – a bright-hued, embellished silk banner tied to a decorated <keyword id="1808323" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="bamboo-pole">bamboo pole</keyword> and an upside down brass/silver pot fitted on the top. A day after Gudhi Padva, <keyword id="127745" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cheti-Chand">Cheti Chand</keyword> or the <keyword id="610532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sindhi-New-Year">Sindhi New Year</keyword> is observed to celebrate the birth anniversary of <keyword id="1998458" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ishtadeva-Uderolal">Ishtadeva Uderolal</keyword> or <keyword id="987886" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jhulelal">Jhulelal</keyword>, the patron saint of the Sindhis. Lord Varuna, the water god, is also worshipped on this day, followed by <keyword id="6771793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="feasting">feasting</keyword> and <keyword id="240265" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="devotional-music">devotional music</keyword>.<br />
 <br />
<strong>Varuda Pirappu/Puthandu – <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>: </strong>Held in mid-April, the <keyword id="6407830" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tamil-New-Year">Tamil New Year</keyword>’s Day is celebrated on the first day of Chithirai, which is the first month of the traditional <keyword id="525554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tamil-calendar">Tamil calendar</keyword>. Just like Navreh, the day begins with <keyword id="1998464" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Auspicious-sighting">auspicious sighting</keyword> or <em><keyword id="1009356" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="kanni">Kanni</keyword></em>, as people <keyword id="1873" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Worship">worship</keyword> <keyword id="13726" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="rice">rice</keyword> &amp; farm products, <keyword id="119992" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="precious-metals">precious metals</keyword> and <keyword id="1246513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="new-clothes">new clothes</keyword>. Ritualistic patterns called <em>kolams</em> are drawn; traditional lamps or <em>kuthu vilakkus</em> are lighted and placed in the centre, and brass bowls known as <em>niraikudums</em> are filled with water to usher in <keyword id="73094" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="prosperity">prosperity</keyword> and <keyword id="800742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="fulfillment">fulfillment</keyword>. It is followed by the <keyword id="1998469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Almanac-worship">almanac worship</keyword> called <keyword id="1998471" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Panchanga-Puja">Panchanga Puja</keyword>. And the festive meal features <em>pachadi</em>, fruits and <em>payasam</em> or dessert.<br />
 <br />
<strong><keyword id="345699" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vishu">Vishu</keyword> – <keyword id="28504" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword>: </strong>Vishu is the <keyword id="1010370" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Malayalam-New-Year">Malayalam New Year</keyword>’s Day, observed in Kerala on the first day of the Malayalam month of Medam. As in other South Indian states, auspicious sighting and other rituals are observed as part of the celebration; <keyword id="51941" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="firecrackers">firecrackers</keyword> are burst and an elaborate <keyword id="1998461" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Festive-lunch">festive lunch</keyword> called <em><keyword id="1998473" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sadya">sadya</keyword></em> is served.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><keyword id="1334751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Poila-Baishakh">Poila Baishakh</keyword> – <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword>:</strong> The Bengali New Year’s Day is celebrated in the month of Baishakh (mostly on <keyword id="6364510" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="april">April</keyword> 14). Also known as <em><keyword id="989326" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Naba-Barsha">Naba Barsha</keyword></em>, <keyword id="27928" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lord-Ganesha">Lord Ganesha</keyword> and <keyword id="462664" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Goddess-Lakshmi">Goddess Lakshmi</keyword>, deities of wealth, are worshipped on this day while businesses open fresh ledgers known as <em><keyword id="1998474" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Haal-Khata">Haal Khata</keyword></em>. Feasting, festivities and <keyword id="6409104" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="cultural-programmes">cultural programmes</keyword> are the main attractions here. <keyword id="1998475" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maithili-New-Year">Maithili New Year</keyword> <em><keyword id="1998426" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Juri-Sheetal">Juri Sheetal</keyword></em> is also celebrated on this day.<br />
 <br />
<strong><keyword id="1998425" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maha-Vishuva-Sankranti">Maha Vishuva Sankranti</keyword> – <keyword id="6357961" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Odisha">Odisha</keyword>: </strong>In neighbouring Odisha, the New Year’s Day is also known as <keyword id="1998476" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pana-Sankranit">Pana Sankranit</keyword> or <keyword id="1998424" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jala-Sankranti">Jala Sankranti</keyword> or <keyword id="1998427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mesha-Sankranti">Mesha Sankranti</keyword> that marks the beginning of a year in the solar calendar. Traditionally held on the first day of Baishakh (mid-April), a sweet drink called <keyword id="1998477" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pana">Pana</keyword> is made using fruits, card, milk, water and sugar/jaggery and bestowed as <keyword id="1998478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Puja-offering">puja offering</keyword>. People also drink Pana and water is offered to all, even to birds and animals, for a month. Throughout this period, <keyword id="1998479" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Goddess-Hingula">Goddess Hingula</keyword> is worshipped for driving the evil away. Devotees often keep fast and perform penances as part of the rituals.<br />
 <br />
<strong>Rongali/Bohag Bihu – <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword>: </strong>Held in the month of Baishakh (mid-April), this weeklong colourful and vibrant festival not only marks the beginning of a year in the solar calendar, but also heralds the new agricultural season. As in all other states, pujas are offered to ensure a prosperous year ahead; <keyword id="974604" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="festive-food">festive food</keyword> such as <em>pitha</em> and <em>laru</em> is made and shared, and young people get together to choose their life partners. Fairs are held; games are played, and the traditional <keyword id="1998481" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bihu-songs">Bihu songs</keyword> &amp; dances make it the perfect season for jollity and merriment.<br />
 <br />
<strong><keyword id="1998480" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cheiraoba">Cheiraoba</keyword> – <keyword id="6359754" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manipur">Manipur</keyword>: </strong>Moving further north-east, one gets to celebrate the Manipuri New Year Sajibu Cheiraoba in the month of April. Puja offerings, delicious food and festivities mark this occasion as well. In addition, locals climb the nearest hill tops, thus aspiring to rise to great heights in real life.<br />
 <br />
<strong>Baisakhi/Vaisakhi – <keyword id="6354953" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Punjab">Punjab</keyword>: </strong>Traditionally a <keyword id="404010" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="harvest-festival">harvest festival</keyword>, the <keyword id="1011009" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Punjabi-New-Year">Punjabi New Year</keyword>’s Day is held on April 13/14 (the first day of the second month of the year, according to the Nanakshahi Calendar). It is a significant day for the <keyword id="81001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sikh-community">Sikh community</keyword> as well since they celebrate the day in honor of the 10th guru, <keyword id="138545" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Guru-Gobind-Singh">Guru Gobind Singh</keyword>, who did away with the <keyword id="6434481" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Caste-System">caste system</keyword>. Otherwise, fun, food and <keyword id="1998485" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Country-dances">country dances</keyword> like <keyword id="6920" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhangra">Bhangra</keyword> and <keyword id="465865" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="giddha">Giddha</keyword>, keeping time with the beats of <em>dhols</em> and drums, mark this occasion.<br />
 <br />
<strong><keyword id="585610" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bestu-Varas">Bestu Varas</keyword> – <keyword id="6354766" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>: </strong>In certain parts of northern and western India, Diwali heralds the New Year and Gujarat is one of them. Bestu Varas is held a day after the Festival of Lights, in the month of <keyword id="6376330" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kartik">Kartik</keyword> (October-November) and houses are splendidly decked up with <keyword id="5823" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Flowers">flowers</keyword>, <em>rangoli</em> and <em>torans</em> (door hangings). Pujas are offered; New Year <keyword id="54214" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fireworks">fireworks</keyword> are everywhere and gifts are generously exchanged. And one must not forget the festive food either, especially the delectable and traditional snacks of Gujarat such as <em><keyword id="107294" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="farsan">farsan</keyword></em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Images: </strong>Wikipedia<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />

New Year Festivities
Not Over Yet; Here Is How India
Celebrates

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">US stock performance following total solar eclipses is enough to help any trader relax.</p></div><p></p></div></div>A total <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/solar-eclipse-2017">solar eclipse</a> may represent a blockage of sunlight, but the stock market has historically caught fire after past occurrences.</p><p>US equity prices have climbed an average of 17.2% in the year following total solar eclipses visible from the US, according to data compiled by LPL Financial. The last time came in July 1991, after which stocks rose 9.9%.</p><p>"History has shown us that since 1900, any time a total solar eclipse has been seen in the U.S., equity prices have gone up," LPL Financial senior market strategist Ryan Detrick wrote in a recent blog post. "It appears our biggest worry isn't what stocks might do, but whether those glasses we bought online are officially approved by NASA!"</p><p>Of course, this research must be taken with a grain of salt. There are so many other drivers of equity performance that any correspondence with the solar calendar should be viewed as coincidental byproduct.</p><p>The <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/index/S&amp;P_500">S&amp;P 500</a> is currently about 8 1/2 years into its ongoing bull market, which makes it already the second-longest on record. It's continuation will hinge on whether corporations can keep growing earnings, and if economic conditions can remain robust.</p><p>"Should you ever invest based on the solar system? Absolutely not," said Detrick. "Things like fundamentals, valuations and technicals are still what drive markets."</p><p>Here's LPL's full breakdown of past performance, post-eclipse:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://lplresearch.com/2017/08/20/could-the-eclipse-be-a-warning-sign/">LPL Financial</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-bottom-line-stock-market-records-apple-tesla-tech-earnings-jim-glassman-economy-2017-8">THE BOTTOM LINE: New record highs for stocks and a deep dive into Apple's iPhone</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Here's how stocks perform after a solar eclipse

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/animation-reveals-invisible-center-of-solar-system-not-sun-2020-7">animation</a> by planetary scientist James O'Donoghue reveals that <keyword id="6359982" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="earth">Earth</keyword> has two types of day: sidereal days and solar days.</li><li>The sidereal day happens each time Earth completes a 360-degree <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientist-video-each-planet-spins-one-giant-globe-2019-12">rotation</a>. That takes 23 hours and 56 minutes.</li><li>The solar day — the one humans count in the calendar — happens when Earth spins just a little further, and the <keyword id="24879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sun">sun</keyword> is at the same point in the sky as it was 24 hours ago.</li><li>We count 365 days in a year even though Earth spins 366 times.</li></ul><p>How long does it take Earth to complete a 360-degree rotation? Not quite 24 hours, it turns out — it's precisely 23 hours and 56 minutes.</p><p>But because Earth is constantly moving along its orbit around the sun, a different point on the planet faces the sun directly at the end of that 360-degree spin. For the sun to reach the exact same position in the sky, Earth has to rotate 1 degree further.</p><p>That's how humans have chosen to measure days: not by the Earth's exact rotation, but the position of the sun in the sky.</p><p>Technically, these are two different types of day. A day measured by the completion of a 360-degree rotation is called the sidereal day. A day based on the position of the sun, however, is a solar day. The latter is four minutes longer than the former, making the even 24 hours we're used to.</p><p>"It's only because we move around the sun in an orbit that the solar day takes 24 hours," James O'Donoghue, a planetary scientist at the Japanese <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> agency (JAXA), told Business Insider. "If we didn't orbit the sun, both days would be the same."</p><p>He made the below <keyword id="21778" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="60" keywordseo="animation">animation</keyword> to show how this works.</p><p>Because we go by solar days in our calendars, we count 365 days in a year. But Earth actually completes a full rotation (a sidereal day) 366 times per year.</p><p>O'Donoghue describes the difference between these two types of day as a matter of choosing which background object we use as a basis of comparison for Earth's rotation. A full rotation relative to the position of the sun is a solar day. A full rotation relative to all the other stars we see is a sidereal day.</p><p>If we used the sidereal day instead, "the sun would rise about four minutes earlier every day," O'Donoghue said. "After six months of doing this, the sun would be rising 12 hours earlier."</p><p>He added: "We've decided to tie our daily rhythm to the sun, not the stars. In fact, the stars rise about four minutes earlier every day because of our choice."</p>

A scientist's quick animation reveals that Earth has two types of day. Humans use the one that's 4 minutes longer.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">REUTERS/ Kevin Lamarque</p></div><p></p></div>The <keyword id="54917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jewish">Jewish</keyword> festival of lights and the American festival of gluttony will overlap this year - and the next time it will happen will be in the year 79811.</p>
<p>Jewish mothers across the country have been circulating a mass email lifted from this <a href="http://jonathanmizrahi.blogspot.com/2013/01/hanukkah-and-thanksgiving-once-in.html">January blog post</a> by Jonathan Mizrahi explaining "<a href="https://twitter.com/Thanksgivukkah">Thanksgivukkah</a>," but here's the gist.</p>
<p><keyword id="32170" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</keyword> is the fourth Thursday in November. This year Thanksgiving is on November 28th, which happens to be the first day of Hanukkah (the first "night" of Hanukkah is the night before).</p>
<p>As it happens, November 28th is the latest Thanksgiving can be and the earliest Hanukkah can be.</p>
<p>The Gregorian <keyword id="6434642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="calendar">calendar</keyword> has Thanksgiving hitting the same date once every 7 years. The Jewish calendar, on the other hand, repeats on a 19 year cycle.</p>
<p>7x19 = 133. So Thanksgivukkah should happen roughly every 133 years, right? </p>
<p><span>"Looking back, this is approximately correct - the last time it would have happened is 1861. However, Thanksgiving was only formally established by President Lincoln in 1863," Mizrahi writes. (Caveat: Until 1942 Thanksgiving was the "last" Thursday in November instead of the "fourth," so Thanksgivukkah technically happened once before, in 1888, Mizrahi notes).</span></p>
<p>So will it happen again? <a href="http://jonathanmizrahi.blogspot.com/2013/01/hanukkah-and-thanksgiving-once-in.html">Here's Mizrahi</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Because the Jewish calendar is very slowly getting out of sync with the solar calendar, at a rate of 4 days per 1000 years (not bad for a many centuries old calendar!) This means that while presently Hanukkah can be as early as 11/28, over the years the calendar will drift forward, such that the earliest Hanukkah can be is 11/29. The last time Hanukkah falls on 11/28 is 2146 (which happens to be a Monday). Therefore, 2013 is the only time Hanukkah will ever overlap with Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>BUT: If the Jewish calendar is never modified, Mizrahi writes, then it will slowly eek forward through the Gregorian calendar and eventually loop completely around.</p>
<p>S<span>o, Hanukkah will again fall on Thursday, November 28th <strong>in the year 79811</strong>, Mizrahi concludes.</span></p>
<p><span>Mizrahi has more caveats, though. Jewish law mandates that Passover take place in the spring, so it's likely the calendar intelligentsia will make a change before things get out of hand. Maybe daylight savings time will help, we're not sure.</span></p>
<p><span>Also, "Fo<span>r the real nitpickers, it is also true that it is not necessary for Hanukkah to to get all the way back to Thursday, November 28 to hit Thanksgiving again. The actual next time the two will overlap is when the LAST day of Hanukkah falls on the earliest Thanksgiving date, which is in 76695."</span></span></p>
<p><span>76695 or 79811. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Either way, the human race will probably be long by gone by then thanks to global warming and/or </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dolphin-assisted-birth-is-dangerous-2013-5">killer dolphins</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">.</span></p>

Hanukkah And Thanksgiving Fall On The Same Day This Year - The Next Time It Will Happen Will Be In 77,798 Years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Every four years an additional day is added to the end of February known as "Leap Day."</li><li>Though February 29 occurs infrequently, leap days have seen their share of famous events, births, and deaths.</li><li>Leap days have existed since the time of Julius Caesar. Here are some memorable events that have happened on February 29 over the centuries. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>While a typical year is typically composed of 365 days, every four years the calendar adds one extra day to the end of February to catch up with the solar cycle.</p><p>That extra day, February 29, is known as "Leap Day."</p><p>Though it's the rarest day on the calendar, a number of significant events have occurred on Leap Day since since its inception in 45 B.C.</p><p>Here are the most important historical events February 29 has brought us:</p>

11 historic events that happened on February 29, also known as 'Leap Day'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container full"><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Fox/Cosmos</span></p></div><p></p></div>In Sunday's premier of Cosmos, Neil deGrasse Tyson spent a good third of the show describing the sheer immensity of time on the cosmic scale. Our universe was born 13.8 billion years ago. If we condense that time down to one calendar year, we create what is called the "cosmic calendar."</p>
<p>In this cosmic calendar 1 day = 40 million years and 1 month = more than 1 billion years. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container full"><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Fox/Cosmos</span></p></div><p></p></div>If the big bang happened at the beginning of the year, the first second of January 1, then:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">As it expanded, the universe cooled, and it was darkness for about 200 million years. Gravity was pulling together clumps of gas and heating them until the first stars burst into light on January 10. On January 13th, these stars coalesced to form the first small galaxies. These galaxies merged to form still larger ones, including our own Milky Way. We formed about 11 billion years ago, on March 15 of the cosmic year. </p>
<p>It took until September for the solar system to develop, and early earth to be created. Life starts about that time too.</p>
<p>In this scale, humans didn't arise until the last day of the year, and modern civilization makes up about the last 14 seconds of the year. Everyone we have ever heard of lived in those 14 seconds, deGrasse Tyson says:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Every person you've ever heard of lies right in there. A<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">ll those kings and battles, migrations and inventions, wars and loves, every thing in the history books happened here in the last seconds of the cosmic calendar. </span></p>
<p>Here's a detailed version from Wikipedia user <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efbrazil" title="en:Efbrazil">Efbrazil</a>:<div class="KonaFilter image-container full click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Efbrazil // Wikipedia" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/531cec7aeab8eaa651e7c2a7-960/cosmic_calendar.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efbrazil" title="en:Efbrazil"></a></a><p class="source"><span>Efbrazil // Wikipedia</span></p></div><p></p></div></p>

Here's The Mind-Blowing Cosmic Calendar From Tonight's Cosmos Premier

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>This Friday, March 20, marks this year's first and only total eclipse of the sun, when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun.</p><p>Not only that, this is an extremely rare type of solar eclipse because it takes place on the first day of spring <em>and</em> when the moon is at its closest distance to Earth, known as a supermoon.</p><p>(The supermoon, however, is a new moon, and will therefore be invisible to Earth.)</p><p>This is the first time since the turn of the century that a total solar eclipse has fallen on the same day as the start of spring, known as the vernal equinox. We won't see an event like this again until&#xa0;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">the year 2034.&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">And after that, the only other two such events will be in </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span><a href="http://earthsky.org/space/how-often-do-we-have-a-march-equinox-solar-eclipse">2053 and 2072</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">.</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Although no one in the US will get a chance to see the total solar eclipse, many parts of Northern Africa and all of Europe will get a glimpse. </span></p><p><strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The most stunning part of the eclipse, when the moon is directly in front of the sun, will take place at approximately 9:46 pm UT (5:46 pm ET).</span></strong></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Check out the map below to see where in the world the eclipse will be visible:</span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If you're not in the right spot to see it in person, you can watch it online. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span><a href="http://www.slooh.com">Slooh Community Observatory</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> will host a live, two-and-a-half broadcast of the event starting at 4:30 pm ET. The livestream is provided below:</span></p><div><div></div></div><h2 class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">What's happening</span></h2><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Vernal is Latin for "spring" and equinox is Latin for "equal night." Every March, Earth is angled exactly perpendicular to the sun's rays, shown in the diagram below, which means that we get about the same number of hours of daylight as we get of night. And on this year's vernal equinox, the moon will pass directly between the sun and Earth.</span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Each time a solar eclipse occurs, only a small part of the world gets to see it. As the moon passes between our planet and the sun, it casts a shadow onto Earth's surface, but this shadow is relatively small&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">and only covers a small part of the globe each time. Therefore, only a limited amount of prime observing spots exist for each solar eclipse.</span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">This time around it's Europe's turn.</span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>If you're in one of the prime observing spots, then y<span>ou can check to see when the eclipse will happen in your city at&#xa0;</span><a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2015-march-20">timeanddate.com</a><span>. </span></span></p><p class="embed-spacer"><strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Remember that no one should look directly at the sun during a partial eclipse without proper equipment, as it can&#xa0;<a href="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html">damage the eyes</a>.</span></strong></p><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The next time the US will get a chance to see a total solar eclipse will be on August 21, 2017. And that's a date to mark your calendars for because it will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the entire US since 1979!</span></p><p class="embed-spacer">There is only one other eclipse of the sun taking place this year on September 13, but it will only be visible by a small number of <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2015-september-13">observers in South Africa and Antarctica</a>.&#xa0;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></p><p><em style="line-height: 1.5em;">If you get any shots of the partial solar eclipse, send them with a description, your name, and location to our <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> team at science@businessinsider.com and we might feature them on our site.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/awesome-auroras-time-lapse-south-pole-2014-11">Watch This Amazing Time-Lapse Video Of Auroras Over The South Pole</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="I3ZmpzcTo0pQKj5M5MsyUe5-aXdhilni" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A very rare supermoon eclipse of the sun is happening this week that won't take place again until 2034

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I was born on February 29th, making me a leap day baby. </li><li>My birthday was the joke of my class when I was in school, because I didn't have one most years. </li></ul><p>On the first day of January in 45 BC, Julius Caesar <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-make-google-calendar-private">enacted a calendar</a> by edict that would become the predominant almanac throughout the Western world for over 1600 years. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Julian-calendar">Julian calendar</a> corrected its predecessor by giving each year a length of precisely 365 and one-quarter days, remarkably close to the actual solar year, which lasts 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. Under Caesar's new calendar, February would be appointed one full extra day every fourth year. Thus, the leap year was born.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/siblings-twins-triplets-born-on-leap-day">Leap days</a> are as rare as the Olympic games. So, being born on February 29th is akin to being an Olympian — after all, every four years, both groups have their time in the spotlight. Only instead of breaking world records in the 100-meter dash, I get texts from my friends that say, "Happy REAL birthday, nerd."</p><h2>I was born on February 29th</h2><p>Growing up, my birthday quickly became the butt of classmates' jokes. After all, I didn't have an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/beauty/best-birthday-freebies-and-discounts">actual birthday</a> for most years of my life.</p><p>My leap age was a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hard-viral-test-questions-2017-12">math problem</a> for classmates eager to solve. I've heard all the jokes. I would have to be 64 years old before I could drive because, at 64, I would have had 16 leap birthdays. And for drinking, I would have to turn 84 before I would have celebrated 21 leap birthdays.</p><p>My leap day birthday singled me out in a way that was entirely out of my control. To a kid who wanted to be as grown up as possible, having my age constantly divided by four got old fast.</p><h2>As an adult, I appreciate the uniqueness of my birthday</h2><p>As I grew older, however, and after some prodding from family members, I began to realize what an opportunity I was given, and I started to embrace the more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/picked-son-baby-name-unique-no-longer-trendy-angry-2024-1">fun and unique</a> aspects of my birthday.</p><p>I strove to celebrate my leap birthdays by partying in the fashion of my leap age. For my 16th birthday, for example, we rented a reptile lady that comes to your home with a bunch of snakes — just as I did when I was 4. And I was just as terrified as when I was 4. Turning what was once a point of tension into a playful <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-does-the-royal-family-celebrate-birthdays-2018-11">birthday tradition</a> has also meant being able to more openly and frequently embrace my inner kid, rather than shying away from it.</p><h2>I feel pressure to celebrate big on leap years</h2><p>Birthdays come with stress, and "leaplings" — people born on leap day, and yes, a classification that also sounds straight out of Tolkien lore — are far from immune. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-resurfaces-of-danny-masterson-genitals-joke-on-conan-obrien-2023-9">Conan O'Brien</a> once said of birthdays, "I don't like praise for something I didn't have anything to do with," and I generally fall in that same camp. Sometimes, birthday anxiety can loom even larger for leaplings since their "real" birthday is less common. Every four years, pressure mounts to celebrate bigger or better than in non-leap years because leap birthdays are a scarce commodity.</p><p>I'd always thought of my birthday as so arbitrary when I was growing up I hadn't given it a fair shake. Now, I take advantage of my leapling status whenever it benefits me. A remarkably supportive household means that on non-leap years, I can choose to celebrate on either February 28th or March 1st. If the former happened to fall on Thursday and the latter happened to fall on Friday, then I was a March baby that year because a Friday birthday is more convenient than a Thursday one. Being able to pick and choose which day you celebrate is a perk unique to leaplings.</p><p>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Egyptian-calendar">ancient Egyptians observed a 365-day year</a>. So close. But without accounting for the extra five hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds of the solar year, they experienced a wandering calendar. After 100 years, the Egyptian calendar had not accounted for nearly twenty-five days — enough to alter agricultural timelines, keep corrupt leaders in office, and have tangible consequences.</p><p>And so I like to think of leap day babies as problem solvers. After all, without leap day, everything would be just a little off.</p>

I was born on a leap day. My birthday was the joke of my classroom as a kid, but now I embrace its uniqueness.

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>On Tuesday, March 8, the celestial event of the year will take place: a total eclipse of the sun, which happens when the Moon passes between Earth and the sun, blocking&#xa0;the sun from view.<p>This is the only total solar eclipse we'll see this year, but sadly for the US, only people in certain parts of South East Asia will witness&#xa0;the total eclipse.</p><p>Moreover, others, in parts of Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and America Samoa will experience&#xa0;a partial solar eclipse, when the Moon eclipses part of the sun.</p><p>Though the rest of us cannot observe this spectacular event first-hand, NASA and the Slooh Community Observatory will be hosting live coverage of the eclipse.</p><p><strong>NASA's coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET and Slooh's starts at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 8. We've provided the live feeds for both at the end of this post.</strong></p><p><strong>The most stunning part of the eclipse, called totality - when the Moon is directly in front of the sun - will take place at approximately 1:59 UT, which is 8:59 p.m. ET, March 8.</strong></p><p>The map below, from <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2016-march-9">TimeandDate.com</a>, reveals who will see the eclipse&#xa0;on March 8. The thin, dark blue line stretching through South East Asia and making its way across the Pacific marks who will see a total solar eclipse, whereas the rest of the shaded regions show who will see a partial eclipse.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>&#xa0;</p><h2>What's going on</h2><p>The reason only a small part of the world can see a total eclipse at one time is because the Moon is about the same size in our sky as the sun.</p><p>Therefore, when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, it casts a small shadow on Earth. There are two parts to this shadow called the penumbra and the umbra, shown below:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>If you are standing underneath that penumbra, then you will witness a partial solar eclipse, but if you're underneath the much smaller penumbra, then you get the rare treat of experiencing a total eclipse of the sun.<p><strong>Remember that no one should look directly at the sun during a partial eclipse without proper equipment, as it can <a href="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html">damage the eyes</a>.</strong></p><p>Because the Moon orbits Earth, both the penumbra and umbra move across the face of our planet during an eclipse. On March 8, the shadow will traverse across 8,800 miles, stretching from just west of South East Asia all the way past Hawaii.</p><p>For a better idea of how the Moon's shadow moves across Earth, watch this 60-second-long NASA animation:</p><p><div><div id="ooyalaplayer" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">The next time the US will get a chance to see a total solar eclipse will be on August 21, 2017. And that's a date to mark your calendars for because it will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the entire US since 1979!</p><p><a href="http://www.slooh.com">Slooh</a> will begin live coverage of the solar eclipse at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 8:</p><p><div></div></p><p><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html">NASA's live coverage</a> will start at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, as well:</p><p><div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/astronomers-discovered-rare-o-stars-nasa-2016-3">Astronomers discovered something extremely rare hiding behind this mysterious red cloud</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VlN2dtMTE6X5JuBCkYeGiESuyh0tv-Xe" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Here's how to watch the spectacular total solar eclipse that's happening tomorrow

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The coming year will be full of astronomical spectacles and technological firsts. Here's a calendar of what to expect in space in 2020.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa">NASA</a> spacecraft will rocket towards the poles of the sun, zip around <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/jupiter">Jupiter</a>, and collect samples from an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/asteroid">asteroid</a>.</li><li>Three different space agencies plan to launch new rovers to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/mars">Mars</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex">SpaceX</a>, meanwhile, plans to launch its first people into orbit on its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/crew-dragon">Crew Dragon</a> capsule.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>From eclipses and meteor showers to Mars missions and ground-breaking rocket launches, 2020 should be an extraordinary year in space.</p><p>Three different Mars rovers are set to launch this summer. SpaceX and Boeing expect to launch their first NASA astronauts into space. Meanwhile, shooting stars, fireballs, and total solar eclipses will grace the sky.</p><p>Here's what to watch in space in 2020.</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Boeing stock price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/BA-Quote">here.</a></p>

You Searched For "Solar calendar" and got 10 results

New Year Festivities Not Over Yet; Here Is How India Celebrates

Sanghamitra Mandal

Here's how stocks perform after a solar eclipse

Joe Ciolli

A scientist's quick animation reveals that Earth has two types of day. Humans use the one that's 4 minutes longer.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Hanukkah And Thanksgiving Fall On The Same Day This Year - The Next Time It Will Happen Will Be In 77,798 Years

Steven Perlberg

11 historic events that happened on February 29, also known as 'Leap Day'

Sanya Khetani,Natalie Colaros…

Here's The Mind-Blowing Cosmic Calendar From Tonight's Cosmos Premier

Jennifer Welsh

A very rare supermoon eclipse of the sun is happening this week that won't take place again until 2034

Jessica Orwig

I was born on a leap day. My birthday was the joke of my classroom as a kid, but now I embrace its uniqueness.

Theo Lee

Here's how to watch the spectacular total solar eclipse that's happening tomorrow

Jessica Orwig

2020 will likely be a groundbreaking year in space. Here's a calendar of the biggest rocket launches, meteor showers, eclipses, and more.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen,Dave Mo…

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides