The History of The New Year
31 Dec
Many of us will spend the fleeting moments of 2011 toasting something that arguably rivals an odometer ticking over to a round number. Completely arbitrary. For even if space and time do exist, who’s counting and to what end?
Those crazy Romans. In the midst of sport and spectacle, Ceaser and Virgil, and the cultural norms of man-boy love, their calender observed the new year in March. Then sometime around 153 BC, consuls picked January 1st – conveniently later adopted in Western Europe to commemorate the Feast of the Circumcision. (Although biblical texts suggest Christ was born in March, so maybe the Romans had it right all along). But back to the days of auld lang syne, if circumcision doesn’t say start your calender year, I don’t know what does. Apparently, we humans seem to have a penchant for commemoration.
Still, it sure is fun celebrating how many trips we’ve all made around our great big star the sun. As for me, I’ve orbited about 31.5 times and it’s been a nice journey so far. Can’t wait to find out what happens next..
So Happy New Year (again) folks! Well, sort of..
I’ve been always interested in this debate. Yes, so many things that are related with the “natural world” are arbitrary, not related to actual things, without accuracy. It will seem that our notions of time and space will be revolutionized, they will change following scientific discoveries.
So I have a question: Since the existence of science, human culture has being adapting, struggling, changing related with the ‘true’ notions (corroborated facts) of the nature of all… Do you think that human culture could be at some point “scientific”? that means, born ‘from the truth’ instead of arbitrary notions unrelated with the real world? Thanks, Pablo PARRADO
Oh the question was indeed for you miss Kirshenbaum…
O the disgrace of a roman helmet!
happy n00 year!
Right back at you Razib!