The Chinese new year begins February 19 this year.
Muslim new year falls on the fifteenth of October.
Eastern Orthodox celebrate new year in a couple of weeks.
What makes today special, new, momentous?
Tradition. Habit. The Gregorian calendar…
meaning it’s new year because in 1582
Pope Gregory XIII straightened out a mess,
tossed out ten days in some countries,
left others on the old system up until
a hundred years ago. January 1st is just a day.
And yet, it’s new. A new year. A momentous day.
It’s a day of starting anew. But so is tomorrow.
And the next day. We’re not limited to one day,
to Resolutions, made now, forgotten tomorrow,
renewed next year’s January 1st.
We have today. It doesn’t matter the date.
Each day we have today. What we really have
is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance
of our spiritual condition.