Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the new year. It's just an arbitrary date that acknowledges that the earth has circled the sun one more time. And, as an excuse to party it's really unnecessary. People who like parties really don't need more than the rising or setting of the sun to throw one. So what's the big deal about Yew Year's day?
Clearly the attraction is not just limited to the United States. Societies have been picking a date to celebrate the new year for thousands of years (think of the Jewish and Chinese new years). And, today the new year is celebrated at one time or another in very many societies around the globe. Why is that?
I think there are two reasons that people mark the new year. One, is that we instinctively know that periodically it is good to have a time of reflection. A time to evaluate what has come into our lives and how we handled it. A time to compare what we've done to what we hoped to do. A look at the road that we've travelled.
I also think that we also know that sometimes we could use a fresh start. An opportunity to put the past behind us and mentally look at today as the starting line. A new starting line. That's probably why so many people make New Year's resolutions. They want to say that today is a new day and a new chance to be what I was meant to be.
So even though I'm not a big party person, come midnight on December 31st I'll raise a glass in a toast and kiss my favorite girl. And, spend a little time the next day looking forward to what I want to accomplish in 2010.
Hope that your New Year is a happy and prosperous one!
Gary
