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Most pagan groups (especially those of the Celtic tradition) celebrate the New Year on the festival of Samhain (pronounced "s'how-in") on Oct. 31st, and more commonly known as Halloween. Some Nordic pagan groups have Yule as their New Year's festival, and some Neo-classicists celebrate the New Year on either Jan. 1st or on the date of the Vernal Equinox. There is no actual numbering of calendar years for the vast majority of these modern pagan groups, as practically all of them claim to be unbroken continuations of The Old Religions which pre-dated Christianity.

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The Church of Satan, however, differs from most other pagan groups by openly admitting that it is a new religion, having been founded on Walpurgisnacht (the last night in the month of April) in 1966 by Anton LaVey. Satanists therefore regard the evening of April 30th as the start of each New Year, which immediately leads into the next day's traditional pagan celebration of Beltane (May 1st).

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The Satanic Calendar calculates Year One as having begun on April 30, 1966. Therefore we are currently in the Year XXXV A.S. (35 Anno Satanis). On April 30th of 2001, it will be XXXVI A.S.

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Sounds like you had a great New Year's celebration in Constitution Square! Did you get the day off from work today? I did! :)

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-- Nanaea