Frank Watson: Time for positive reset

By Frank Watson

Happy New Year. Have you ever wondered why the year begins on the first day of January? It was Julius Caesar’s fault. He created the Julian calendar about 60 years before the birth of Christ. Before Caesar, Romans celebrated the new year in March at the spring equinox. It was the celebration of new beginnings when light became triumphant over darkness. Caesar changed it to honor the Roman god Janus. Janus was the god with two faces one that could look back and celebrate the old year, and the other looking forward with anticipation of the year to come

Romans didn’t make too much of the new year. A few references to new beginnings, but that is about it. The Jews on the other hand, celebrated the day of atonement (Yom Kippur) in October as a day when all sins are forgiven and everything begins anew, plus every 50th year Jews celebrate a year of Jubilee. During that observance, everything begins as new. Land returns to the original tribe and owner, all debts are erased, and slaves are freed. Truly a rebirth amid a great celebration. Sounds like something the Romans would do.

We were in Japan for celebration of the Chinese New Year in 2001. The exact day of their new year varies a little but is generally in mid- to late January. This year Jan. 26 will usher in the year of the rabbit. I was born in the year of the horse. The animals assigned follow the signs of the zodiac and repeats every 12 years. We were actually in Kyoto around the national bell the exact moment it rang in the new year. My wife and I plus a few hundred thousand Japanese. They celebrated the old year in style. The next day we were invited to a friend’s house and were served the traditional New Year cuisine. The family lit incense and prepared themselves spiritually for a bountiful new year. It was a wonderful experience.

I have yet to learn of a culture that does not have a time of renewal and rebirth. Few are as drastic as the Jewish Year of Jubilee, but all cultures have one. For some it is the spring equinox, for others it is the fall harvest. The European Octoberfest is a time of renewal as well as a time of celebration. Revelers celebrate the past harvest and look forward to a new cycle of seasons. Romans, Jews and Asians all have, or had, a celebration where they celebrate the past year and look forward to a new one.

One of the things that struck me as I learned to move to the rhythm of Eastern Washington was how close we are tied to the seasons. We are part of a great circle of life. You can see the cycle in the colors as you drive to and from Spokane. The bright green of spring gives way to the softer hues of summer then the gold of fall. Winter is the time when there is nothing to do except to attend basketball games and to watch the wheat grow. Then when light begins to dominate darkness, we celebrate. We celebrate conquering all the challenges we faced in the past year. Then we look forward to an exciting new beginning. It is in this time of optimism and hope that we frequently make New Year’s resolutions.

Join me in resolving to do something anytime during the coming year to make the world a better place. Don’t keep it a secret, tell everybody and encourage them to make the same resolution. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Something that will make a positive impact on anyone you choose. Don’t decide what the something is right now, just keep the promise in the back of your mind. “Sometime during this year, I am going to do something to make the world a better place.” If you remember the promise, the details will take care of themselves.

Frank Watson is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a freelance columnist for over 20 years.