The origin of New Year's Day can be traced back to ancient civilizations. In the Gregorian calendar, which is the most widely used calendar today, New Year's Day is celebrated on January 1st. The concept of marking the beginning of a new year has its roots in various ancient cultures.

One of the earliest known celebrations of the New Year dates back to ancient Babylonians, who celebrated it around the time of the vernal equinox, which is typically in March. The Babylonians believed that the gods created the world during this time, so they celebrated with a festival that lasted for eleven days.

The Romans also had a New Year's celebration, which was called "Saturnalia." It was held in late December and lasted for seven days. This festival was originally a religious event, but it eventually became a time for general revelry and gift-giving.

The Roman New Year was eventually established on January 1st, and this date was adopted by the early Christian Church. Pope Gregory XIII later introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582, which standardized the date of New Year's Day to January 1st.

Throughout history, various cultures have had their own unique ways of celebrating the New Year, with customs and traditions that often involve the exchanging of gifts, feasting, and making resolutions for the upcoming year.