Section B - Page 3
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, December 1, 1999
Millennium
Muslims won't celebrate millennium for 580 years
By Howard Manns Special to the Kansan
When the ball drops in Times Square and America welcomes the year 2000, Khalid Al-Sadoon, Jubail, Saudi Arabia, sophomore, won't be celebrating. He'll have to wait a little longer to welcome the new millennium — more than 500 years longer.
Al-Sadone — like most Saudi Arabians and many in the Muslim world — follows the Islamic calendar. And for those who follow the Islamic calendar, it's only the year 1420.
The Islamic calendar began in 622, when the Muslim prophet Mohammed emigrated from Mecca to Medina. The calendar draws its name from this emigration, known as the Hira.
The Hijra calendar has 354 days in 12 months, with each month alternating between 29 and 30 days. The start of the month doesn't begin on a fixed date. Instead, it begins with the sighting of the crescent moon. The difference in the lengths of the years means that the millennium will come in 580 Muslim years, which is in the year 2561 in the Gregorian calendar.
While most Arab countries have made the transition to the Gregorian calendar, Saudi Arabia still uses the Hijra calendar for most of its internal affairs.
Consequently, the arrival of the Gregorian New Year will remain unheralded in Saudi Arabia and among many Muslims.
That's not to say that there will be much celebrating 580 years from now, either. Muslims traditionally share two major celebrations each year, and the New Year isn't one of them.
"The conservative point of view
"The conservative point of view is that it's just the end of the old year and the start of a new year, and it isn't necessary to celebrate."
Mowafiq Al-Anazi
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, freshman
is that it's just the end of the old year and the start of a new year, and it isn't necessary to celebrate," said Mowafiq Al-Anaza, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, freshman.
While much of the world still is celebrating the year 2000, Muslims will be busy with their own celebration. One of Islam's two major celebrations, Eid-Al-Fitr, the breaking of the Ramadan fast, will occur around Jan. 8.
Muslim countries won't be completely devoid of year 2000 celebrations, however.
"We celebrate the same way as people here," said Ahmad Abu-Ali, Amman, Jordan, freshman. "We invite people over, eat, turn out the lights and say 'Happy New Year.' The only difference is that we don't drink."
Yasser Elaloosy, Baghdad, Iraq, freshman, said that while many older people didn't celebrate the New Year, it was customary for teenagers and younger people to spend the night out together.
Amman, Jordan, graduate student. In fact, he said, the celebration of the New Year was a common ground for the Muslim majority and the Christian minority in Jordan.
There isn't much conflict between those who adhere to the Hijra calendar and those who choose to celebrate the Gregorian New Year, said Mohammed Hawa,
Al-Anazi said that some Christians and Muslims shared another common bond with respect to the calendar; they believe that the year 2000 marks the apocalypse. He said that Muslim doomsday prophets believed that the end of the world would come in the year 2000 of either the Gregorian or Hijra calendars.
But those who follow both the Gregorian and Hijra calendars share an even more pressing issue: the year 2000 computer bug, which makes computers read a two-digit date code of "00" as 1900. Computer and banking systems of the Muslim countries — even those countries that utilize the Hijra calendar — use Gregorian dates.
"They (the Saudi Arabian government) have spent a good deal of money fixing these problems," Al-Anazi said.
The Jordanian government has a Web site dedicated to the year 2000 modifications underway within its borders.
On Dec. 31, many Muslim students in Kansas have to decide whether to celebrate the Gregorian New Year.
While Al-Anazi said he would prefer to be in Saudi Arabia during the winter break, he probably would take part in the New Year's celebrations here in the United States.
"I will celebrate with friends from the fun perspective, not from the religious perspective," Al-Anazi said.
- Edited by Chris Hopkins
Some students to stay in Lawrence for New Year's Eve celebrations
Although the majority of University of Kansas students will leave Lawrence for the holidays, some will spend New Year's Eve in town.
Special to the Kansan
By Tina Evaristo
They are not unhappy about staying in Lawrence because they think it could be a good place to celebrate the new millennium.
"My family lives in Topeka, but my friends are from Lawrence, and I will be coming here to hang around with them," said Paul Sedlaceck, Topeka freshman. "I believe some people are going to spend money on this occasion, but I haven't budgeted for that."
Imad Uddin, Overland Park sophomore, said he saw the New Year's celebration as an opportunity to help his colleagues. Uddin, a resident assistant at McCollum Hall, volunteered to take the three-day shift running from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2. When the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, he will be working.
"I like to help people," he said. "I knew not many people wanted to stay here. So, I said that I wouldn't mind taking that shift. My girlfriend will be coming from Overland Park. I told her it was not necessary, but she also volunteered."
Uddin said that the hall would be open throughout the holidays and that some students — including several foreign students — would stay at McColum during the break.
"We may have the TV set up and watch the ball drop in New York," he said "Nothing more than that."
Jeff Listerman, Lawrence senior, also is staying in town.
"I am planning to go to Liberty Hall to see BR-549 in concert," he said. "Anyway, I don't think this New Year's Eve is that special."
Other students also said they did not regard New Year's Eve as an important date.
"For me, it is just another year," said Ateka Hoshino, Gunna, Japan, senior. "I don't feel
"I am not going home because it is too expensive and time consuming. I will be here, celebrating with my friends. It will be very informal, nothing out of the ordinary."
Ateka Hoshino
Gunna, Japan senior
differently because it is the millennium."
She has been studying at the University for four years, and this will be the first New Year's Eve she spends in Lawrence.
"I am not going home because it is too expensive and time consuming. I will be here, celebrating with my friends."
Hoshino said they planned a small celebration.
"It will be very informal, nothing out of the ordinary," she said.
In downtown Lawrence, bars and restaurants are not yet prepared for New Year's Eve celebrations.
"We have not made any plans yet," said Troy Kuglin, manager of Dos Hombres, 815 New Hampshire St. "I really don't think we are going to be open," he said.
Nick Geise, assistant manager of the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., also said he did not know what it would offer for New Year's Eve.
"Right now we are very busy," he said. "We are not thinking about that yet."
Miguel Aqui, manager of Coco Loco, 943 Massachusetts St., said he could not tell if the bar would be open, but he sent a message to students.
"If we do [open], I assure it will be the biggest party at this side of the Mississipp," he said.
Edited by Chris Hutchison
Many plan vacations around high prices and possible computer glitches
By Kelsi Ricke
Special to the Kansan
For many, New Year's Eve always has been a night of parties and celebration, but this year some University of Kansas students will celebrate far from home.
This New Year's Eve is going to be different from any other for those students. Kristy Hackworth, Lansing junior, said that this one would be special for her because it would be the millennium.
"This will be my only chance to celebrate a millennium, and I want it to be fun and memorable." Hackworth said. She said that she usually celebrated the new year by going out to a party with her.friends.
"New Year's Eve has always been a fun night, but I have never done anything really excelling." Hackworth said.
She said that this year she would be traveling with a group of friends to New York City for the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square.
"I've watched the ball drop every year on television, but this year I will get to see it live." Hackworth said.
She plans to fly to New York a few days before Dec. 31 and will stay a few days after Jan. 1 to avoid any possible flight problems that might occur because of the year 2000 computer problem.
"I know that everything will probably be fine, but I would rather be safe than sorry," Hackworth said.
She said that she had little trouble getting a hotel room in New York. Hackworth made her reservations six months ago.
Anne Walters, a manager for AAA Kansas, 3514 Clinton Parkway, said that her travel agency had experienced fewer bookings than she had expected for this time of year. She also said that cruise lines and hotels had tried to capitalize on the millennium.
"Many cruise ships and hotels doubled and in some cases even tripled their prices for this." Walters said.
She said that many of her clients did not want to travel because of these outrageous prices and possibly because of the chance of a problem with the year 2000 bug.
"Many of my clients said that they could travel at another time when things weren't so costly." Walters said.
Ruth Hughes, the owner of Holiday Travel Inc., 2112 W. 25th St., said that she also had fewer clients traveling this New Year's Eve. Hughes agreed
Walters said that several companies had hurt their business because they tried to take advantage of this New Year's Eve. She also said that cruise ships had more space available and hotels had more vacancies than they had anticipated.
"Many cruise ships and hotels doubled and in some cases even tripled their prices for this."
Anne Walters
Manager for AAA Kansas
that prices were higher because of the millennium.
She also said that prices were beginning to fall because of the lack of travelers and the unoccupied rooms.
"Many started out with high prices but now have become very affordable," Hughes said.
Michael Toal, Lawrence senior, said that he had benefited from this lack of travelers. He plans to travel out of the country with a friend to Greece and Istanbul. Turkvek, for the holidays.
Toal said he usually did not celebrate New Year's Eve because he always has had to work, but he wanted to do something really special this year.
He said that he would take a cruise to Turkey and that he had made his reservations six months ago. He said that his plane ticket and cruise cabin already had been upgraded to first class at no extra cost.
"I received a deal that was just too good to pass up." Toal said.
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