beginning of the year; early in the New Year
「年明け」 has another reading with different meanings.
年明けにまた会おうね。
Let's meet again early in the New Year.
年明けから新しいプロジェクトが始まります。
A new project will start from early in the New Year.
年明け早々、デパートの初売りには大勢の人が集まった。
Right after the New Year, many people gathered for the department store's first sale.