Dear China
HAPPY
NEWYEAR
The celebration of the New Year is one of the oldest
holidays. Many believe it was first observed in ancient Babylon
In the northern half of the world, January is usually the
coldest month of the year. Nature is quiet. Birds
travel less, and animals such as bears and woodchucks sleep both day and
night. Plants rest in preparation for the next growing
season. However, not all countries celebrate the New Year on their
calendars at the same time.
Some calendars are based on the movement of the moon.
Others are based on the position of the sun, while still others are based
on both the sun and the moon. The Chinese New Year is celebrated
some time between January 17th and February 19th, at the
time of the New Moon. Their New Year is usually celebrated on the
2nd New Moon of the western calendar. This means that
the Chinese New Year��s day is celebrated by Chinese people all over the world
by street parades and firecrackers to scare off evil spirits. The
Spring Festival continues for 2 weeks and is closed out by the Festival of
Lanterns that lights the way into the New Year.
The month of January is named for the Roman God Janus who is
pictured with two heads. One looks forward, the other backwards,
symbolizing the break between the old and the New Year. The Greeks
paraded a baby in a basket to represent the spirit of fertility.
Christians adopted this symbol as the birth of the baby Jesus.
Today our New Year��s symbols are a newborn baby bringing in the next
year and the old man winding up last year.
But what is even more interesting is that history is divided
into either B.C. or A.D. B.C. simply means the years ��Before
Christ�� while A.D. is the Latin Anno Domini which means
��in the year of our Lord.�� So this designation
marks His life as the most important event in history! However,
some people��especially non-Christians��now write B.C.E. for Before Common Era
or Before Christian era and C.E. for Common Era or Christian Era instead of B.C.
and A.D.
In the United States New York City , on State Street Chicago
On New Year��s Day, many people in the United
States Pasadena , California , and
the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia
As the New Year approaches People think of their past faults
and mistakes and make resolutions to do better in the coming year.
Even the Apostle Paul admits, ��No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still
not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing:
Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to
reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ
Jesus, is calling us to heaven.�� Indeed we need divine help to
keep our resolutions to do better in the new year. Here are some
of the resolutions people make:
Reading the Bible will tell me where I came from, what
my purpose is, and where I am going.
Reading other good literature will help me avoid the
mistakes others have made and inspire me to greater heights.
I will appreciate my loved ones more by spending more
time with my family and friends.
I promise to exercise more to win the battle of the
bulge.
Many will promise to stop smoking for health
reasons.
Others will resolve to stop drinking too much.
Yet others promise to get out of debt during the new
year.
Still other resolve to help others more in the new
year.
A lot of us think it is a good time to get ourselves
organized.
What is your resolution for the New Year? I can
think of several for myself. I hope you have had a very good
holiday season with your family. The presence of my daughter
Carolyn has made the Christmas season a very pleasant time for me.
Happy Holidays to you,
Tom Atkinson
Windows Live: Keep your friends up to date with what you do online.
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