This is a bit disingenuous; what’s considered the “new year” is usually aligned with the seasons and the passing of winter, which is very much not arbitrary and completely dependent on the tilt of Earth’s axis.
The change of year is not aligned with the winter solstice. In fact the new year has been intentionally moved to an arbitrary date to obscure the solstice behind religious holidays.
It’s basically a week away from the solstice, still. A little more than a week. It’s exactly a week from Christmas Eve, which is what many countries (like where I live) celebrate as “the” Christmas. It’s pretty clear still, to me at least, that we celebrate this time because of the sun returning to higher distances above the horizon.
I said “passing”, not “end”. The end of the year is roughly aligned with mid-winter, a.k.a. the winter solstice, the point at which light and life begin their return.
Why just solstices? I maintain that secular society would probably enjoy the cardinal (solstices and equinoxes) and ordinal (halfway points) holidays that modern pagans tend to celebrate far better than the Christian ones. They’re evenly spaced out and correspond to changes in light and temperature
My wife and I do this. Not all of our friends are up for it (some think it’s too sacrilegious, but like everything I do is I’m not sure why they haven’t got that yet)
This is a bit disingenuous; what’s considered the “new year” is usually aligned with the seasons and the passing of winter, which is very much not arbitrary and completely dependent on the tilt of Earth’s axis.
I think Brazil and Australia would like a word.
You mean the Portuguese and the English, who brought their traditions with them
Summer is a much better time to celebrate anyway. I don’t get why Europeans decided to do it in winter.
Anyway, it doesn’t stop being an important day… after an arbitrary week-and-half delay.
What else is there to live for in winter if not the celebrations.
This is why we need to go back to the roots of what Christmas was co-opted from.
Gimme my winter solstice festival!
Summer Christmas is less magical
It is aligned for the southern hemisphere as well, just with winter and summer reversed.
The change of year is not aligned with the winter solstice. In fact the new year has been intentionally moved to an arbitrary date to obscure the solstice behind religious holidays.
It’s basically a week away from the solstice, still. A little more than a week. It’s exactly a week from Christmas Eve, which is what many countries (like where I live) celebrate as “the” Christmas. It’s pretty clear still, to me at least, that we celebrate this time because of the sun returning to higher distances above the horizon.
Does January 1st coincide with the ending of winter anywhere?
I said “passing”, not “end”. The end of the year is roughly aligned with mid-winter, a.k.a. the winter solstice, the point at which light and life begin their return.
Ending? Winter just started 10 days ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice
Kind of my point
Ah, well, they moved it ten days away, very hidden and sneaky. Those dastardly fiends.
I figure the solstice would be a far better tradition to bring back. Party twice a year? Peak and summer the low of winter. Sign me up
Uh… it hasn’t gone anywhere. Just because you haven’t celebrated it, doesn’t mean others haven’t.
Why just solstices? I maintain that secular society would probably enjoy the cardinal (solstices and equinoxes) and ordinal (halfway points) holidays that modern pagans tend to celebrate far better than the Christian ones. They’re evenly spaced out and correspond to changes in light and temperature
My wife and I do this. Not all of our friends are up for it (some think it’s too sacrilegious, but like everything I do is I’m not sure why they haven’t got that yet)