The New Year
The first day of Abib, in the spring, when the cycle of life begins.
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.Exodus 12:2
The Israelite year opens in the spring, not in midwinter. Abib is the first month, and its new moon day is the new year. The name itself is fixed in scripture: this day came ye out in the month Abib (Exodus 13:4).
Abib includes Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
How it is kept
The anniversary of the Israelite Nation falls on new year’s day, and a special service is kept on the first Sabbath of Abib to mark it. New year may be celebrated with dancing, feasting and merriment, in the knowledge that there is a time for everything, and that such things are put aside during the holy times.