Indeed, New Year's marked the rebirth of nature itself, as it was thought of as the first day of spring. And, due to the traditional manner of figuring age, by which one counted the yearly cycles one had been a part of, New Year's was a "birthday" of sorts for everyone, the day on which all people added one to their ages (a baby born near midnight on the last day of the 12th month would thus be age 2 within an hour of its birth.