Turning and Timing

It turns out that turning a new leaf on January 1 is a fairly new phenomenon. The Georgian calendar, introduced in 1582, placed the start of the year at the start of of the month named for the Roman god of transitions, Janus, who looks both backward and forward. But neither the Brits nor the colonists in North America really accepted that date until the mid 1700s.

The Georgian calendar is based on the sun. But many cultures still honor a lunar calendar and celebrate the new year with the arrival of the second new moon after the winter solstice.

What drives us to track time? And why do we track those cycles based on orbs of light that mark the day and night? Why are we compelled to "wrap up" the old year with lists of highlights and plan for the new year with lists of resolutions?

To everything, turn, turn, turn....
There is a season, turn, turn, turn....