I love the arbitrary (Gregorian calendar) date for New Year's Day, and I think whoever came up with that must have really known what they were doing. I mean, if you think about it, the year is circular, right? We orbit the sun and it's not like there's a pause or invisible ticker that's like "ding, new year!" So the date could be whenever. Wikipedia tells me that England and Wales celebrated on March 25th, up until 1751- that's quite recent, when you think about it. Sikhs celebrate on March 14th. In Bali the new year follows the moon cycle, so it's different each year (but usually in March). It's celebrated with twenty-four hours of fasting and meditation. In Punjab, they celebrate on April 14th. Rosh Hashanah is in the fall, and the Muslim new year date varies, but in 2008 there were two celebrations.
But January works pretty well, for me anyway. It's right in the middle of winter, so right when things are getting pretty dull and bleak, I'm stuck in a rut, and I need a bit of a break, there's the restart button.
And I know it's symbolic, but lots of good and meaningful things are symbolic, and so are lots of things that really matter. If symbolism gets me off the couch, cool. If symbolism causes me to re-evaluate, reflect, and set new goals for the next arbitrary chunk of my life, I feel like it's done a pretty great job. Plus, it's a rare opportunity to give oneself a well-deserved pat on the back for changes and accomplishments made in the previous year. I love the New Year because it gives me an opportunity to consider what I've done and what I want to do, and design a plan for what I want to do next.
It's also one of those handy year-markers, like birthdays (or Halloween, the winter solstice, or Bastille Day... anything that we celebrate), where you can see a clear line from birth until the present, and every year there's growth and change.
For example, when I was a kid, my new year's resolutions every year were basically this:
1. Get skinny.
2. Write in my journal more.
3. Obtain a kitten.
Now that I look back, that first one is a little problematic coming from an eleven-year-old... but luckily I've experienced some obvious maturation.
1. Get into a habit of avoiding processed sugars.
2. Eat more leafy greens.
3. Cultivate a frequent yoga practice
4. Spend lots of time with family and the people I love.
5. Spend lots of time working toward my own goals.
6. Write in my Blogger more.
7. Obtain a kitten.
But January works pretty well, for me anyway. It's right in the middle of winter, so right when things are getting pretty dull and bleak, I'm stuck in a rut, and I need a bit of a break, there's the restart button.
And I know it's symbolic, but lots of good and meaningful things are symbolic, and so are lots of things that really matter. If symbolism gets me off the couch, cool. If symbolism causes me to re-evaluate, reflect, and set new goals for the next arbitrary chunk of my life, I feel like it's done a pretty great job. Plus, it's a rare opportunity to give oneself a well-deserved pat on the back for changes and accomplishments made in the previous year. I love the New Year because it gives me an opportunity to consider what I've done and what I want to do, and design a plan for what I want to do next.
It's also one of those handy year-markers, like birthdays (or Halloween, the winter solstice, or Bastille Day... anything that we celebrate), where you can see a clear line from birth until the present, and every year there's growth and change.
For example, when I was a kid, my new year's resolutions every year were basically this:
1. Get skinny.
2. Write in my journal more.
3. Obtain a kitten.
Now that I look back, that first one is a little problematic coming from an eleven-year-old... but luckily I've experienced some obvious maturation.
1. Get into a habit of avoiding processed sugars.
2. Eat more leafy greens.
3. Cultivate a frequent yoga practice
4. Spend lots of time with family and the people I love.
5. Spend lots of time working toward my own goals.
6. Write in my Blogger more.
7. Obtain a kitten.
