People have been marking—and often celebrating—the passing of time for all of recorded history. As the most easily observable markers of time, days and seasons, were the first to be recorded. It won’t surprise anyone that people living in places with readily observable seasonal changes were the first to use calendars to track the passing of time.
The dates associated with the seasons most of us recognize (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter) are based primarily on the experiences of Northern Europeans. It got cold in the winter, rained in the spring, got hot in the summer, and started cooling off in the fall. Seasonal changes influenced human life in a variety of ways, including planting and harvesting of crops. Our ancestors paid close attention to seasonal changes. They had to, as their lives and well-being depended on it.
The most commonly used calendar today is the Gregorian, which was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in October 1582. The most important thing, of course, is for people to agree about dates and times. That agreement facilitates trade and commerce. Our ancestors used to say, “I’ll see you in the spring,” and that was good enough. Now we would need to ask, “When specifically in the spring?”
The original reason for New Year’s Celebrations was to mark the change from Winter to Spring. Our ancient ancestors felt the need to encourage the sun to make the trip back north. After Pope Gregory, the end of winter became associated with the birth of Christ. Now that we have a relatively common calendar, it’s possible to tell others “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year!” at the appropriate times.
Regardless of your religious and/or spiritual beliefs about Christmas and New Year’s, the metaphorical implications of this time of year are noteworthy for the same reason birthdays are noteworthy: they are significant markers of time and give us opportunity to reflect on the passage of time.
In northern European countries, winter has always been a time for reflection. That may be why this time of year became associated with the birth of Christ, but regardless of your spiritual beliefs, the most important thing about this time of year is the opportunity for renewal.
Christmas and New Year’s give us specific markers for the opportunity to change for the better. These holidays, in fact, encourage us to change for the better. If you haven’t read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, this is the right time of year to do so. The story illustrates how people can change for the better and do so especially at this time of year.
If you’ve been wanting to change for the better, now is the right time. People often hold on to behaviors they know are not good for themselves and/or others because of the desire for consistency. This time of year is a perfect time to make major changes in personality and behavior. You can attribute the change to either Christmas or New Year’s, and people will understand.
If you have no need to change for the better, this is the perfect time of year to help others do so. You don’t have to be a Christian to have a Merry Christmas, and there’s no reason not use the start of a New Year as the opportunity to change for the better.