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!
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!
posted by SHAILENDRA at 11:01 AM
1 Comments:
Yep. There many reference points to a new year. In a country like India and especially South India there are 2 reference points for people who follow Lunar and Solar Calendar to make things complicated.
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