Throughout the Middle Ages, the New Year was often celebrated to coincide with the March Equinox. It wasn’t until Julius Caesar created the Julian Calendar in 46 BC that January 1 became widely accepted as the first day of the year. The Gregorian calendar, used worldwide today, was a reform of the Julian calendar instituted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII which kept the new year as January 1. Still, nothing beats my birthday as far as important days go. It's December 5th by the way.