That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a New Year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Years Day in modern America was not always January 1.
Ancient New Years
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 cresent) 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 nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Years Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors 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.
The Churches View of New Years Celebrations
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.
During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.
New Years Traditions
Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.
The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California.
Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.
The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.
Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus. The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.
For Luck In The New Year
Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.
Black-eyed peas, in some sections of the country, are combined with hog jowl; in other sections the peas are mixed with rice (and sometimes other vegetables) and the dish becomes Hopping John. The black eyed peas, though, are the important ingredient.
Hoppin John
This dish looks like a normal starch dish, but the name
is intriguing. In the South it is served as often as you wish, but always
on New Year's Day, in which case it is to bring you good luck. I am
told that the children were so fond of this dish in the old days
that they would hop about the kitchen waiting for it to cook
thus giving it the name.
Turkey is served in New Orleans at a feast rivaling Thanksgiving , and ham is traditional to many nationalities. Cabbage is highly regarded as lucky by German and Swedish communities, and salmon is the lucky dish of the Northwest. But the
finder of the money in a coin cake is the most fortunate of all.
Auld Lang Syne
The song, "Auld Lang Syne," is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year.
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll take a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scottish tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."
Yet another tradition for New Years is to make Predictions for the coming year. Here then are my Predictions for 2010...
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. The effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous will still avail much.
3. The Holy Spirit will still touch hearts.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed, Bible preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His obedient children.
8. There will still be room at the Cross for YOU.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. The way to God the Father will still be through the blood of JESUS
Finally, there's always the New Years Eve Parties. Because I love all of my Friends and would love for you all to still be here to Celebrate New Years 2011, I have but one request. If you're Drinking. Hand over the keys please!! And try to rememberr this little poem...
Near to the door he paused to stand
as he took his class ring off her hand
all who were watching did not speak
as a silent tear ran down his cheek
and through his mind the memories ran
of the moments they walked
and ran in the sand (hand and hand)
but now her eyes were so terribly cold
for he would never again have her to hold
they watched in silence as he bent near
and whispered the words...
"I LOVE YOU" in her ear
he touched her face and started to cry
as he put on his ring and wanted to die
and just then the wind began to blow
as they lowered her casket into the snow....
this is what happens to man alive.....
when friends let friends....
drink and drive.
My Wishes For You in 2010
That God gives You…
12 Month of Happiness,
52 Weeks of Fun,
365 Days Success,
8760 Hours Good Health,
52600 Minutes Good Luck,
3153600 Seconds of Joy
And that’s all!
Have A Wonderful New Year My Friends,
Phil