Is it permissible to attend the festivals of non-Muslims, or to establish a festival for the beginning of the Hijri year?

Question:
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, this questioner says: Is the festival of the beginning of the year one of the festivals of the disbelievers? And is it permissible to allow them to hold it in their own way in Muslim countries?

Answer:
Without a doubt, festivals are matters of religious law. There is no festival for Muslims except what Allah has prescribed, and Allah has not prescribed for us anything but two festivals: 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha. So whoever adds to this is an innovator, and it is not from the law of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Likewise, the one who participates with the disbelievers and encourages them in their festivals, such as the New Year festival, by encouraging them, donating to them, attending their festivals and celebrations, or eating from the food prepared for them, without a doubt, he is assisting them in falsehood.
He attends their festivals , and the falsehood is the festivals of the disbelievers; he attends them, does not participate in them, and does not encourage them. Likewise, if a Muslim establishes a festival for the Hijri year, the beginning of the Hijri year, establishing a festival with cessation of work and congratulations, this is a bid'ah (religious innovation). This is a bid'ah because the festival is from the Shari'ah, and Allah has not prescribed for us anything but two festivals: 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha. The Mawlid festival that they make for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), claiming it is for him, is without a doubt a bid'ah and imitating the disbelievers. It is a bid'ah because Allah has not prescribed it, and it is imitating the disbelievers because the disbelievers are the ones who make a festival for the birth of Jesus.