New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern
Gregorian calendar as well as the
Julian calendar used in
ancient Rome. With most countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, New Year's Day is the closest thing to being the world's only truly global
public holiday, often celebrated with
fireworks at the stroke of
midnight as the new year starts. January 1 on the
Julian calendar currently corresponds to
January 14 on the Gregorian calendar, and it is on that date that followers of some of the
Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the New Year.