- Soon people will be poised on the edge of 2007 awaiting
the " fall of the ball" to mark the beginning of 2008.
"Happy New Year" will be shouted from gatherings all over the
United States as people hug and kiss friends and strangers alike. The strains
of the curious song Auld Lang Syne will echo across the country. Hats and
horns and scotch and soda will dot the landscape, as the train of holiday
festivities races towards its destination - the New Year.
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- What all this noise is about? What's the history of the
tradition?
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- Interestingly enough, the first New Year seems to have
made its appearance in ancient Babylon and not on January 1st. In the years
around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (the
first visible crescent) after the Vernal Equinox (the first day of spring).
Celebrating the New Year at springtime seems logical to me. After all,
it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming.
The choice of January 1st was purely arbitrary, having no astronomical
nor agricultural significance.
- http://wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm
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- Baby New Year as a symbol, was born in Greece around
600 BC. To celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, the Greeks paraded a
baby in a basket. It represented the annual rebirth of the god as the spirit
of fertility.
- http://english-zone.com/holidays/newyear-trads.html
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- The early Catholic Church condemned the holiday as paganism
and remained in opposition through the Middle Ages. Ultimately, the popularity
of the "birth of the New Year" forced the Church to
re-evaluate its position and it succumbed to the pagan influence as Baby
New Year was born.
- http://wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm
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- We can thank Robert Burns for the song "Auld Lang
Syne:" Though early variations were sung prior to 1700, it was Burns
who produced the modern rendition. The old tune literally means "old
long ago," or simply, "the good old days."
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- What does the New Year mean to us? Is it merely a time
to turn the calendar, have one too many and party hearty? Or, can we find
a deeper significance in this ancient ritual. Some would say that this
is a time to reflect back upon the past year and make resolutions for
the coming one. Interestingly, this tradition too dates back to the early
Babylonians. However, their most popular resolution was to return borrowed
farm equipment.
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- "Sorry about the tractor. I meant to return it sooner."
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- Now, there's a resolution I could have kept. It
sounds a lot easier than resolving to quit smoking or losing those
pesky five pounds.
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- And so, as 2008 looms on the horizon, and "What
Are You Doing New Years?" plays on your radio, what are your plans?
Are you going to eat, drink and be merry or are you going to have an introspective
relationship with the new birth ?
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- For me, the choice is obvious. I cannot look at the current
world situation apart from myself. I cannot merely hope for a better tomorrow
for myself and my loved ones. I will drink from the "cup of kindness"
as I contemplate ways to make this world, or at least my corner of it,
a better place. The New Year whispers promises of new beginnings; resolutions to
extend my boundaries beyond personal comfort into a world that is suffering;
a world that is in dire need of rebirth. I invite you to join me. Perhaps
we can make a real difference in the year 2008.
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- Happy New Year.
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- www.judyandreas.com
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