New Year?

Tomorrow is the first garbage day of the new year! Maybe it really isn't, though.

Today is New Year's Day...or not.

I was thinking about the new year and how people in the US meet at midnight to usher in the new year. "Happy New Year!" is yelled from rooftops, streets and all across the land. I wondered about that. It's no longer politically correct to say, "Merry Christmas" so people say, "Happy Holidays". What about the political correctness of, "Happy New Year"?

The new year celebrated in the US is on January First but that seems to be incorrect. The majority of people throughout the world recognize the new year as beginning at different times through the year. There are so many different days and times called "the beginning of a new year" that it's impossible to even uncover them all. Many cultures celebrate early Spring as the new year, some celebrate the end of the harvest season, some recognize the rainy season, others choose the winter solstice when the daylight hours finally begin to lengthen. The winter solstice, as the beginning and end of a year, seems to make the most sense to me. Among others, that happens to be the choice of numerous Native American tribes. I also think the advent of Spring might be the best choice for a New Year.

Actually, in some of my (limited) research, it appears that January First was chosen as New Year's Day because that was recognized as the day Jesus was circumcised. That's ridiculous!

The arrogance of Americans and Christians in declaring a new year as beginning today is...is...purely American.

Anyway (I keep having interruptions), this is only New Year's Day in a small section of the world.