Saturday, December 30, 2006

new year's countdown

over the next 36 or some odd hours, people worldwide will be celebrating the coming of the new year, 2007. it has been quite the year, especially with the events of yesterday in iraq. what a memory for the end of a year. i only hope the next year is a more peaceful one.


i would like to take the opportunity to thank all the readers and contributors of my blog which i started this year. your visits and input are much appreciated and i look forward to each and every comment.

i would like to wish a year of —

health,

happiness,

joy

&

prosperity

for each and everyone of you



according to this site, new year's celebrations go back to the babylonians, more than 4000 years ago who,
began the idea of New Year's resolutions as a way to start the year off with a clean slate by returning borrowed items.

the holiday spot says that on new year's eve,
[t]he idea of making deafening noise is to drive away the evil spirits who flocked to the living at this climactic season with a great wailing of horns and shouts and beating of drums. This is why at the stroke of midnight we hear the deafening cacophony of sirens, car horns, boat whistles, party horns, church bells, drums, pots and pans - anything that serves the purpose of producing a devil chasing din.
it goes on to say,
[i]t is traditionally thought that the first day of the year is symptomatic of the approaching 364 days. Accordingly, people try to spend the first day of the new year in the best possible way in the company of family and friends. It was once believed to be a good omen if a tall dark-haired man visits your house on New Year's Day. Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring good luck. In many cultures, it is a predominant belief that anything in the shape of a ring brings luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. It is primarily for this reason that the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day brings good fortune. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Consuming cabbage is also considered a potential harbinger of good luck. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.
whatever you believe, let's hope it's a good year!

as an additional note, here is one site which explains the history of new year's day celebrations and traditions. it is an interesting read.

this is another one which shows the new year around the world with sayings in several languages.

i have to add that not everyone in the world will be celebrating as is done in north america. many cultures have different traditions, beliefs and practices.

what's your tradition?

7 comments:

Beenzzz said...

Wishing you a very wonderful 2007, Bureka Boy!

Cheryl said...

Our tradition for many years has been a stay-at-home celebration with a special meal and a movie marathon. This year J and I will be roasting a turkey and watching Harry Potter films. At midnight, we'll toast the New Year with a glass of egg nog before nodding off to first sleep.

Wishing you peace, prosperity, and great joy in 2007, burekaboy. Cheers!

Chanita Harel חני הראל said...

I wish you a very good year !
שנה טובה , בריאה ומוצלחת ומאושרת לך יקירי
כל טוב :-)

Pamela said...

Have a great 2007 Burekaboy, It's been fun getting to know you this year.

I've learned a lot too...for instance I was in Vietnam during Chinese New Year several years ago and we saw banners everywhere saying Chuc Mung Nam Moi. Our guide told us it means Happy New Year. So we memorised it and chirped it to everyone we met. Now whenever I meet a Vietnamese person I try to work it into the conversation which nearly always catches them off guard. Probably because Happy New Year hardly ever comes up in conversation I guess, and gets chucked in randomly at the end of a conversation...

Anyways according to one of the websites you mention, you don't say Happy New Year in Vietnamese like I thought! I wonder what the heck I've been saying to people all this time?!

I was travelling in a group of three women and all the shopkeepers told us it was extremely good luck for three women to be the first shoppers in a shop after New Years, and they would do anything for us to make a purchase, as it would set the tone for the rest of the year. Although now I suspect that to be a very good marketing ploy...

Kelvin said...

Hello & Happy new Year from New Zealand. I hope you have a good one.

Jihan said...

Depends on where we are, in Guyana, we would sleep, my dad dont believe in loosing sleep over nonsense. But when mom takes us for holiday, me and my cuz we believe that whatever you do at the hour you will keep on doing it for the rest of the year. I think its through. One time I spend it talking to my husband who was just my friend then on the phone, we spend alot of time for the rest of the year talking on the phone.

One year we said we would read books so whole year we could read books, and thats just what we did, One year I spend it checking money, but it didnt turned out how I wanted it, but I wasnt short of nothing for the year...

Happy New Years, hope its a very prosperous one for you... And I hope you continue bringing us some great recipes... and facts and cute pictures for the new year...

burekaboy — said...

beenzzz — all the best to you and your family for 2007 also! thanks for all your comments, i always look forward to them :)

ostara — i am sure you and J will have a fantastic dinner and a wonderful HP marathon! you must be looking forward to the new book. thank you for testing out so many of the recipes i posted. all the best to you, your son and the menagerie!! :) don't let jazz see the turkey! gulp ;p

pammie — i too am happy to have made you acquaintance this year. i get to see places i'd probably never get to visit myself.

lol, i do wonder what you've been saying then in vietnamese! hope it wasn't something naughty! hehe. i'm sure that was a marketing trick, too. but then again, you never know!

now go feed miguel! all the best, pam.

hey kelvin — you beat us by many hours in NZ! it was already 2007 when you stopped by, i think.

happiest of new year's wishes to you!

chanit — שנה מלאה במזל, בריאות ואושר גם לך ולרן וכל המשפחה

PJ — thank you for your good wishes. i guess this will be your first year in canada, so i wish you and your family all the best in getting used to a new way of life :) good health and success with whatever you do.

what you said in your comment was very interesting. i had never heard that before. guess it keeps you from doing "bad" things!! oh yeah, before i forget == eid mubarak.