It is that time of the year when people start making countdowns, resolutions, making bucket lists they want to implement the next year, and also gym membership. Everyone wants to get a fresh start in the upcoming new year, be it better grades, getting a girlfriend/boyfriend, better work performance by coming to work early every day and being more efficient, or just waking up early.
The new year has the spirit of making people be better, though it is a different story if they can make this commitment translate to the entire year, but did you know that the new year isn’t always celebrated on January 1st everywhere? Though it is just the earth completing one revolution around the sun, it is so much more than that.
Most cultures don’t see January 1st as the new year, in the Southern states of India, it's celebrated in the middle of April, and China celebrates it between January end and February 20, whichever coincides with the Gregorian calendar date (the universally followed calendar) of their lunar calendar, dubbed as Chinese New Year and many nations and cultures have their own dates where they celebrate. The only thing they all have in common is a festive atmosphere.
It is quite a festive day, where families come together like most holidays away from the pressures of work and college tensions and just have fun, and for those far from home, they can enjoy in their own way as the streets are bustling with activities and it’s the ideal way to just hang out and indulge in the spirit with friends. Musical nights and concerts are commonplace on the eve of the new year.
We have seen the word “resolutions” thrown everywhere, what is the significance of it? Why even bother making it even if there’s a high probability that you failed in following through with the resolutions you adopted last year? Only a few people would willingly admit that they failed in clearing out the previous year's resolutions. What is the driving factor to do these? The answer is simple, from time immemorial happiness has been the major driving factor, the sense of accomplishment is what drives humans to achieve greatness, and achieve resolutions, heck even just writing it down gives an indescribable sense of euphoria. At the end of the day, at the baseline, you just have to be better than you were yesterday.
On the outside, the new year might seem like just a change in the calendar date which people just make a big deal about, but it is a chance to reminisce what one has been through over the past year, what hardships, losses and difficulties one has faced, and at the same time they can feel proud of the immense insurmountable obstacles they have overcome, even if they thought they wouldn’t triumph over it.
Want to ask out someone who strikes your heart? Go for it, want to paint something even though you never painted in your life, go for it, want to learn a new skill even though you know you’ll never be good at it? Go for it, don’t be a perfectionist, want to pick up a new hobby but don’t know what to do? Just pick up a book and start reading. There are countless things you can do to have a productive year; the world is your oyster.
Just make a bucket list and go for it, don’t worry if it's unrealistic, even if you can accomplish less than half of the list, it’s your victory, you aren't competing with anyone. Cheers to a new beginning.
