Jan 1, 20203 min read

What Does the New Year Mean To You?

"The new year is the time at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increases by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner and the first day of January is often marked as a national holiday. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system, New Year occurs on Jan. 1." -Wikepedia

HOW ABOUT YOU?

What does the start of a new year mean to you?

Is it just another day; or is it a momentous time of the year when you pause to contemplate the current state of your life?

Do you strive to make positive changes in the coming year; or resign yourself to the probability that resolutions likely won't last the year, anyway, so why bother?

Do you ring in the new year with fireworks and laughter; or let your year begin with quiet, peaceful solitude?

There is no right or wrong way to welcome the new year. No correct or incorrect answer.

When I was younger, we had a blast 'ringing in the new year' with a family party, games, fireworks, and of course Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

In recent years, those traditions don't seem quite as important as they once did, and I'm happy to put on my pajamas, fuzzy slippers, and snuggle down at home with my husband until I fall asleep far before the ball drops.

THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR

Cultures around the world honor their own unique and festive traditions to celebrate the start of a brand new year. It's been going on for centuries.

We celebrate the changing of the year on December 31st/January 1st on the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar most widely used around the world today. It was introduced in 1582 and eventually replaced the Julian calendar used during that time period.

HOW KOTW USES THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR

In my series KEEPER OF THE WATCH, a large part of the premise of the story is based on the Gregorian calendar's passage of time.

These excerpts from KOTW were taken from Chapter 17. This is the scene where Alyx first explains the watches to Chase.

"...he forged the very first watch, and connected it with the Gregorian calendar year, which is the calendar we still use today.”

"Keepers can only be children who are born on the first day of the fist month, the second day of the second month, the third day of the third month, and so on consecutively up to the twelfth day of the twelfth month. Only children born on those calendar days have the ability to couple with their family’s watch."

Alyx and Chase will spend the new year jumping to Dimension 1 on January first. They don't know what they will find there, just as we don't know what the new year will bring for us. Part of the enticement of any good story (including our own!) is the mystery of what will happen next.

*Find out more about the keeper's and watch's origin stories in my new release novella: DIMENSION KEEPER (KEEPER OF THE WATCH SERIES: THE PREQUEL)*