The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 30, 2005, Page 9, Image 9
A Babylonian-style New Year
Familiar holiday with 4,000-year-old roots has undergone
changes — from Roman revampings to post-exam relief
Caroline DeSanctis
FOR THE GAMECOCK
The wind is picking up, finals
review sheets are being passed
out and a look of utter stress has
crept over the student
population — all dire
indications that the calendar year
is coming to an end.
Beyond the oft
commercialized palooza that is
Christmas, one other celebratory
occasion tends to be enjoyed by
many when day No. 365 passes:
New Year’s. But, despite its
official date of Jan. 1, festivities
surrounding a new year have not
always taken place smack dab in
the middle of winter.
According to wilstar.com,
there is a story to be told of this
year-end celebration, starting
with the ancient Babylonians,
the first to observe this holiday
more than 4,000 years ago. A
new year was indicated by the
first moon after the vernal
equinox (first day of spring) —
appropriate, considering spring
is the season of rebirth and
planting.
The Babylonian celebration of
the New Year consisted of an 11
day party with a different theme
assigned to each day. The
Romans later adapted this
tradition but moved it into
March, only to eventually
change the date again because of
orders of various emperors.
The Roman calendar became
so out of sync that in 153 B.C. a
declaration by the Roman senate
officially deemed Jan. 1 as the
start of the new year to get the
calendar back on track. (The
date has no significance in terms
of astronomy or agriculture.)
Not to be outdone, Julius Caesar
established the Julian calendar
during his reign. His calendar
also started on Jan. 1, but
because of the time he deemed as
the start of the year, the previous
year had to be extended to 445
days.
With Jan. 1 set in stone as the
official New Years Day, other
traditions of the season soon
followed. The making of
resolutions, a practice also
started by the Babylonians,
became popular as people looked
to a fresh start with the coming
of a fresh year. Among the
people of Babylon, resolutions
included such things as
returning borrowed farm
equipment. These days,
common resolutions include
losing weight, kicking the =
habit or becoming vegan.
The Pasadena Tournament of
Roses Rose Parade, another
staple of New Year’s celebrations,
dates back to 1886 when
members of the Valley Hunt
Club covered their carriages in
flowers, signifying the ripening
of the orange crop in California.
In 1916, the Rose Bowl was
added as the center of the
festivities.
In addition to football and
floats, certain foods have become
associated with bringing good
luck for the coming year. Many
cultures believe that anything in
the shape of ring brings good.,
luck in that it symbolizes
“coming full circle” and
completing the years cycle.
Given this idea, the Dutch began
eating doughnuts on New Years
to ensure good fortune in the
future.
But forget the Babylonians
and the Dutch: For college
students, New Year’s is a sure sign
of relief.
“After enduring class
registration and all my finals,
when New Year’s comes around,
you realize how far you have
come,” said Alexis Murphy, a
third-year graphic design
student. “The end of the
semester is really stressful, so the
whole prospect of New Year’s is
kind of refreshing.”
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures @gwm. sc. edu
cusToms • commuEO FRom 8
“very commercial,” even more
so than it is in the U.S.
Thomas said Christmas is a
day to shop for gifts and go on
“Christmas dates.”
Oshougatsu, the three-day
long Japanese New Year’s
celebration, has a little more
religious significance, and
families often visit shrines or
temples.
Even with its religious
aspects, Japanese New Year’s is
still quite commercial,
Thomas said, and people will
go on three-day vacations,
shop and go out to bars.
An English Christmas is in
many ways similar to ours,
but in other ways uniquely .
English. Aaron Brazier, a
third-year philosophy student
from England, said that on
Christmas morning people
open their stockings, and the
typical dinner involves turkey,
but also that they usually
drink a lot.
“We drink wine, beer” he
said. “Occasionally we like
sweeter liquors too.”
He said the Queen
traditionally makes a speech
every Christmas afternoon.
“Some old-fashioned
families wait until after the
Queen’s speech at 3 p.m. to
open their presents; some do
it after breakfast,” he said.
Brazier said Christmas in
England is not as commercial
as it is in America, but the
commercialism is still rather
heavy.
“Most families buy cards,”
he said. “My mother ends up
with hundreds and sending
hundreds.”
New Year’s in England is
“nearly always a night to dress
up and party,” he said.
Brazier usually celebrates
the New Year in Dartmouth.
He said Dartmouth has one of
the biggest New Year’s Eve
celebrations in the country
because “it has the most pubs
per person in the UK.”
As far as dressing up is
concerned, anything goes,
whether it be dressy clothing
or costumes.
“I’ve been a Jedi, a bouncer
and a few other things,” he
said.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu
Photo courtesy of HTTP://WEST2fi,BUKi.S,(XjH
In Japan, visiting attractions such as Tokyo Disneyland is a
popular activity during the three-day New Year celebration.
photo courtesy e/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
While the Babylonians didn’t have fireworks, they did begin the custom of New Year’s resolutions.
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