COLUMN: Ramblings: Dawning of the New Year

I am writing this column on the Winter Solstice. This is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Tomorrow the sun will shine a few minutes more as the sun returns. Humans have celebrated the return of the light on this day for… I am searching for a word that describes forever or since time began. Humans created all sorts of rituals to mark this day. In northern parts of our planet the day signals the beginning of the cold time when the earth rests. Animals hibernate, trees store their sap far below ground and make energy for the warm season that will come.

For centuries we humans have celebrated the Solstice. Our celebrations have different names, different rituals, different customs; they all celebrate the return of the light. Solstice Blessing is a greeting used to convey peace, harmony and connection with nature during the winter. The Solstice was celebrated long before the more modern religious festivals were created. Many of us say Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah or Happy New year at this time. It is all the same. A wish for a good year to come.

Many of us make resolutions to ensure a better year. While doing some research, I discovered that the Babylonians made resolutions 4,000 years ago. They made theirs on the Spring Equinox to ensure a good harvest. They had parades and feasts. They also promised to return borrowed tools and pay their debts. For some reason that made me think of the Rose Bowl Parade which I love to watch and how many of us celebrate by watching football games on New Year's Day.

The New Year is the perfect time to rest, to contemplate, a time for review, a time to plan, a time for self-reflection. Nature is resting. Hidden away in the cold earth, bulbs are storing energy so they can burst forth with blooms come spring. This is when many of us create a roadmap for a more fulfilling life. To set goals, make plans. We put up calendars with the dates marching across the pages in neat little boxes.

For years I have celebrated New Year's Eve by burning my calendars for the ending year. I banish the negative and celebrate the positive of the ending year as the pages of the months go up in smoke. Rituals are important, tangible acts that can represent intention.

The next morning, I put up calendars for the new year. I see the empty boxes as opportunities. The New Year is a time to reflect on what we want to achieve, to create, to announce places we want to visit. A calendar can be a roadmap for a more fulfilling life. Of course, there is no guarantee that we will be given all those days. I think approaching life with optimism is necessary. It isn't always easy. The older I get the more difficult that task is to achieve. Life sometimes has other plans for us. This is a good time to reevaluate, activate hope, and envision a better future. We make plans to improve our personal and professional lives. Many of us contemplate how we can make even small changes to make life better, easier for others and ourselves. And that, dear readers, is my resolution for 2026.

'til next time,

Annie