A letter which was shown to the Rebbe contains his handwritten edit on the sign off referencing January as the “new year.”
The undated letter by Chana Goldstein lists the Plan of Activities for the Young Women’s League.
After listing the plans, the letter signs off with, “We hope that the coming year will be a successful and fruitful one!”
The Rebbe circled the words “coming year”, and wrote “!?” Then sharply noted: “It began already on Rosh Hashanah” (underlining Rosh Hashanah twice).
To #1: The Rebbe did not said it to me. (In simple English, someone’s Yechidus is not my yechidus.)
To the other commentators, the solar calendar indeed is significant and it’s true we use it for our purposes but it is Christians who arbitrarily begin it in January.
Sholom Lesches (Montreal)
Dec. 4 or 5th has to do with being 60 days after the start of the halachic autumn .
We use the civil calendar to switch over v’sen tal umatar on dec 4/5
The solar year has Jewish significance too. The gemara says the ovos were born in Nissan, but brings proof from a possuk that references Iyor. Tosafos explains that although it was already Iyor on the Jewish calendar, it was still Nissan in the solar year.
The Gregorian year has nothing to with jews.it has links to Christianity they even go to pray new years eve…we should stay well away from celebrating this and stick to Rosh hashana which has so much beauty,meaning and significance.
I remember hearing that the Rebbe wished someone Happy New year in Yechidus. When the person showed a shocked face the Rebbe said “Doesn’t it say in Tehillim ׳ה’ יספור בכתוב עמים׳. ??
Full disclosure: I did not see this story in writing. Only heard it.