RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW

Yet another year, yet another reason to "celebrate", yet another day to revel mindlessly...

Since all the days and months repeat themselves, any day could be a new year's day- we are just shifting the reference point for our calculations. In 1751, Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar throwing away the Julian calendar. However, it is notable that it was Julius Caesar who made January 1st as the "new year's day", as it was on that date when Roman consuls took over the duties. Many cultures and religions all over the world celebrate the new year at various times spread over all months, and we can easily show more than 100 different dates for new year's day.

But the most common (and universally accepted) date for everyday dealings, trade, commerce, etc. January 1st is the reference point and it is the first date of a new year. Blame it on Julius Caesar, imperialism, and the British... we have been gifted with a universal language for communication (english), and everything that is associated with it (like the calendar, for example).

New year resolutions- ah, the ones that never really take off. Resolutions, or committing oneself to doing certain things (usually weight loss, reducing alcohol/tobacco intake etc.) in the coming year are very prominent on this day. Most of them are failures. The origin of making "resolutions" date back to the Babylonians who incidently were are the first (historically) to look at new year as a reason to revel. Most resolutions taken back then were to return the borrowed farming equipment duly :) Talking of reveling and revelers, maybe the Babylonian boorish, crude and crass culture has come down through the ages and has manifested itself in today's ways of of celebrations.

Finally a quick mention of the vets, who are noted to celebrated January 2nd as the "mew" year- a happy mew year for cats day!

BIRTHDAY BUMPS

Birthdays are supposed to be full of fun and joy. This is true, but the fun and joy are very much for the "guests" of a birthday party. Indian college birthday celebrations are very notorious. The scapegoat (birthday boy) has the unique opportunity to volunteer to get his ass whooped.

And it is pure fun. Especially for others. College/youth birthday parties in India are not without BIRTHDAY BUMPS, or the tradition of having one's back pounded as many times as his age in years. The UK tradition in high schools and colleges is to catch hold of his arms and legs by four others and toss him up in the air over and over. Variations of this version include tossing him up and pounding his back on the ground each time... while the most popular Indian tradition is to hold his arms and legs while the rest of the gang pummel his ass with their feet, usually much more than his actual quota for his age. More often that not, the scapegoat is reluctant as you can imagine.

(Rohit, after his ritual)

People wear boots and heavy shoes ESPECIALLY for a birthday function- to kick ass! Birthdays usually starts off with this ritual, and after that comes the more sober cake-cutting and singing of the birthday song. But again the atmosphere is charged up with smearing the cake very generously over his face, head and elsewhere.

Birthday bumps are fun, but sometimes it can go out of hand. I've seen one example where a college mate of mine had to be in crutches for a few days. More serious cases include damage to the spine, the effect of which can be paralysis or lifelong disabilities. However those cases are few and far in between. All the merry-making is safe as long as your feet lands on the gluteus maximus (the prominent shape-giving muscle of your bums), and not on the backbone. The unfortunate birthday boy also has to foot a large bill after treating the gang at some restaurant, before having his ass kicked and his face & body smeared with icky-sticky cake and confetti!

"Happy birthday to you,
You were born in a zoo,
With monkeys and donkeys,
and you look like one too..."