Thoughts Along the Path . . .

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If you were to say to someone tomorrow “Happy New Year” they may wonder what you mean. If you went on to say, “I wish you a Happy First Day of Spring” they may think that’s unusual though not quite so puzzling. Perhaps I should mention that my friends in Australia and New Zealand remind me that it’s the beginning of their autumn, not spring. But since they are unlikely to read the Ayr News, I’ll focus on our own hemisphere.

Let’s consider for a moment the many peoples of the world who observe new years on a date other than the first of January. I have discovered dozens of ways to determine the new year, including the beginning of spring. Just for fun I’ll share some of them now.

Most of us already know about the Chinese new year in February. In Thailand the new year is observed on the 13th of April. For the Hmong people the date shifts slightly from year to year, depending on the condition of the rice harvest. In India, the official date is the 1st of January with other dates and observances among its large and culturally diverse population. The same situation occurs in Ethiopia where the 1st of January is the official date but there is also a traditional date in September. In Judaism the new year is observed in September or October as set by the lunar calendar. And to offer yet one more variation – I am among the millions of Baha’is around the world who observe the first day of spring as the new year (“naw ruz” in the original language).

If we think about the first day of spring as a significant seasonal event without being also the new year, we find many people celebrating the spring equinox. Much as with the winter solstice, they gather with music, dance, and reverence, perhaps even ascribing spiritual significance to the event.

Even if the calendar and astronomers tell us exactly when spring begins, the weather doesn’t just suddenly change. And yet - whether we have snow on the ground or daffodils are starting to appear - we notice with all of our senses that a shift is taking place. I feel like a solar battery, finally getting recharged.

What besides the weather is changing? When I listen to or read news tomorrow morning, will I find that the world is at peace, climate change has been reversed, all people are getting along, men and women have equal opportunities everywhere, housing is available to all, no one is starving or deprived of health care, human diversity is respected, all children have access to education, and so on? I guess not.

Here’s a shorter, perhaps more realistic list. Our streets are all in good repair, no one speeds through residential areas, petty theft is non-existent, dogs are on leash, no children are bullied at school or online, recreation is barrier-free, and farmland is being preserved. Maybe that won’t all happen tomorrow either.

So what does all of this mean for us? It makes sense if we think in terms of annual cycles. As we see plants returning from winter slumber, we notice a re-start in other ways. From personal habits such as spring cleaning to the opening of the Ayr Farmer’s Market, everything doesn’t magically happen on New Years Day. But we do notice the shift, transitions, anticipation, and preparations.

Whatever may be your own thoughts about new years or spring, you may find that these words from the Baha’i writings bring a message of hope. “At the time of the vernal equinox in the material world a wonderful vibrant energy and new life-quickening is observed everywhere . . . It is a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth.” If we use that energy to bring all people together in friendship and respect and to care for our planet, we might also fulfill this humorous challenge from Oprah Winfrey: “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”

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