The celebration of the New Year on January 1 is a relatively new phenomenon. The earliest recording of a New Year celebration believed to have its beginnings in Mesopotamia, ca. 2000 B.C. celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox, in mid-March. Varieties of other dates tied to the seasons by various ancient cultures as well. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians began their new year with the fall equinox, and the Greeks celebrated it on the Winter Solstice.
Middle Ages: January 1st tradition abolished by Christians
In medieval Europe, however, the celebrations accompanying the New Year were considered pagan and unchristian like, and in 567, the Council of Tours abolished January 1 as the beginning of the year. At various times and in various places throughout medieval Christian Europe, the new year was celebrated on Dec. 25, the birth of Jesus; March 1; March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation; and Easter.
Julian calendar: January 1 Officially Instituted as the New Year
In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar introduced a new, solar-based calendar that was a vast improvement on the ancient Roman calendar, which was a lunar system that had become wildly inaccurate over the years. The Julian calendar decreed that the New Year would occur with January 1, and within the Roman world, January 1 became the consistently observed start of the New Year.
The custom of singing Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Eve stretches back to the British Isles from the 18th century when guests ended a party standing in a circle and singing this song. The custom first was rooted in Scotland, because Robert Burns, their favorite folk poet of the time, wrote the lyrics in 1788. What does this song mean? In the Scottish dialect, auld lang syne is "old long since" – a.k.a. the good old days. The traditional lyrics begin with, "Should old acquaintances be forgot and never brought to mind. . ." The entire song's message merely means to forget about the past or use it as a catalyst for the future.
Since humans, on the soul level, contrast as a spiritual spider-like web; a network of beings enclosed in The Spiritual Matrix, connected to each other—every living species on earth, we feel either what others feel, subtly or overtly projecting how we feel about our self. If you have a loathing for something that happened in the past, and you do not forgive yourself, people will pick up on that feeling, and without knowing why, dislike you no matter what you do. We are all connected, in every way possible. Maybe not by the meat suit we wear and the masks we wear on a daily basis, but everyone's spiritually. Every one on this wonderful planet we call home.
The only reason we hate others, or different religions, creeds, nationalities, gender preferences, different from our own is for one reason, and one reason only: Fear—fear and misunderstanding. It is during this critical buffer of time that we recognize that, and vow to change our attitudes towards others. Get to know ‘others’ and find a common ground. This slight change in attitude could stop wars, and earth disruptions. We are all responsible for the earth’s changes and this is the defining year of change. Believe it. Change your mind, and you change the world.
The entire New Year 2012 characterizes this year as the defining year that differentiates components of a physical human web within a Spiritual Matrix. May we share responsibility for our fragile planet with unconditional eco-love and tenderness?
Happy New Year 2012
Resources:
A History of the New Year — Infoplease.com
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