New Year

Today is the beginning of a New Year. The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible crescent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical or agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary. The Romans continued to observe the New Year in late March, but various emperors continually tampered with their calendar so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

January 1 happens to be widely celebrated as the New Year in the world today. However, many nationalities and sub-nationalities have their own calendars and celebrate their own New Year on dates other than January 1.

Someday, if earth people inhabit Mars, Martian New Year would be celebrated every 687 earth days. So, the concept of New Year is relative. If there are other living creatures in far, far away places in this universe, they could be celebrating their New Year in a totally different way and not necessarily by dropping a ball from some tall tower.

In reality, New Year (i.e. January 1) is just another day. Up until 1970, I do not recall making a big deal out of January 1. That was a different time in a different country. Only thing that sticks in my mind is that my father had passed away on the night of December 31, 1961 (Actually around 1:00 AM of January 1, 1962). Back then our (Assamese) New Year celebration was around the middle of April. The celebration lasted for several days with food, fun, and cultural programs. Modern day New Year pales compared to the merriment we had from that celebration.

Starting in the fall of 1970, I had started my career with an Oil Company. It was originally a British Company and as such had a Western legacy. So, in the Company Club I had experienced first hand the celebration of Christmas and New Year. Now I watch the New Year celebration (Fire Works in Sydney, Ball Dropping in New York Time Square...) on TV sitting in my living room couch.

All I have to say is that another year is gone by. I hope that all the bad stuff (like Tsunami, Hurricane, Earthquake, Flood...) is over. We start on a new dawn hoping for an end to war, hunger, famine, AIDS; hoping for peace, fairness, and justice; hoping for compassion, wisdom, love and happiness. I think the world still has enough good people to change it for better.