Akitu was an ancient Mesopotamian festival honoring Marduk that is often identified as an early New Year celebration.
The festival was held in Babylon and other Mesopotamian cities, with its principal observance connected to the beginning of the agricultural year. In Babylon, Akitu traditionally began in the month of Nisanu, corresponding roughly to March or April in the modern Gregorian calendar.
The festival lasted several days and included processions, religious ceremonies, royal rituals, and the recitation of the Babylonian creation epic, the Enuma Elish. A key ceremony reaffirmed the king's relationship with Marduk and the cosmic order of the kingdom.
Akitu was not identical to the January 1 New Year used in many modern countries. Ancient calendars were lunisolar and varied by place and period. The festival is important because it connects seasonal renewal, agriculture, kingship, and religious ideas of restoring order.