By ALISON HORWOOD
Not all New Zealanders will toast the first sun of the new century with a glass of bubbly. For some the day the millennium ticks over will be just like any other.
For Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans who follow a lunar calendar, the party to celebrate the New Year falls on February 5.
Pansy Wong, our first Asian MP, says most Chinese New Zealanders will join the New Year's Eve celebrations on December 31, but their community will celebrate as a whole between February 5 and 12.
"From what I have heard, there will be a lot of Chinese New Year parties, particularly in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch."
For the country's 10,000 Muslims, the stroke of midnight will see most of them praying in their local mosque, as on any other night during the fasting month of Ramadan.
Community member Tauqir Khan says the millennium has little meaning, except that it falls during Ramadan, the ninth and most important month of the Muslim year.
The biggest worldwide celebration for Muslims is Eid, a party and feast to celebrate the end of Ramadan on January 9.
Mr Khan says many Muslims may celebrate the millennium with their friends because "they are integrated into the local culture."
However, religion forbids Muslims to drink, so New Year is a time to exchange sweets and gifts.
The 12,000 Sikhs in New Zealand will be praying at the dawn of the 21st century, says Auckland community leader Man Preet.
"We will be praying and singing holy songs all though the night between about 8 pm and 3 or 4 in the morning."
Because their religion is only 300 years old and has not established its own calendar, it follows the Christian calendar so New Year is celebrated "like anyone else."
However, the biggest party for Sikhs is Vaisikhi, on April 13.
For the 5000 Baha'is, the New Year begins on March 21, after a calendar of 19 months of 19 days.
But spokeswoman Bev Watson says that because New Zealand Baha'is live in a predominantly Christian society, many celebrate Christmas and December 31.
"As for the millennium, many Baha'is do see the end of the 20th century as significant because it has been the century when a lot of movements towards global humanity started."
New Year just another Saturday for many
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