Iraqis celebrate the Islamic New Year outside a mosque in Samawah(Getty Images)

Today marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year, otherwise known as the Hijri New Year. Starting on the evening of the 24 October and ending on the 25 October, it is observed on the first day of Muharram the first month in the Islamic calendar.

The Islamic lunar year is shorter than the solar Gregorian year, usually by 11 or 12 days. Therefore, the Islamic New Year does not coincide with the same day of the Gregorian calendar 2014 is the year 1436 AH.

AH, the Latin for "Anno Hegirae" or "After Hijrah" which means "emigration", is a reference to the first Islamic year beginning in 622 AD. It marks the emigration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra.

The Hindu New Year also falls on 24 October, on the same week as Diwali the "festival of lights". Today marks the beginning of the year Vikram Samvat 2071.

Vikram Samvat is the calendar believed to be established by emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain in central India in 56 BC. It uses lunar months and the solar sidereal year, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun once with respect to the fixed stars, and is the official calendar of Nepal.

Based on ancient Hindu tradition, the Vikram Samvat calendar is 56.7 years ahead of the solar Gregorian calendar,(also known as the Western calendar).

Candles are lit at the Madan Mohan Malviya stadium in Allahabad, India, on Diwali(AFP)

According to the Hebrew calendar, the year AM (Anno Mundi) 5775 began at sunset on 24 September 2014. The calendar has evolved throughout history, with Babylonian influences.

The Hebrew lunar year is about eleven days shorter than the solar cycle and uses the 19-year Metonic cycle to coincide with the solar cycle. It also has the addition of an intercalary month every two or three years, for a total of seven times per 19 years.

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Islamic New Year 1436 AH: What Year is it in Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism?