Our calendar is arbitrary

[AdamW]

Who the hell decided that new year should fall on the 1st of January? I was thinking about this, and surely the most logical time for new year would be either a solstice or an equinox? All "1st of January" corresponds to is the day you start your new calendar.

In fact, I think an equinox would be best of all, as the north/south hemispheres will be experiencing identical solar exposure.

What do you think my chances would be if I petitioned the UN to move the calendar approximately 3 months forewards or backwards in order to make the year less arbitrary?

 

[notb665]

YOU DARN PAGAN HEATHEN!

 

[kendor]

That'll be no then!

 

[notb665]

Seriously, Christmas was put over the Winter Solstice to suppress Paganism. (Hallowe'en is the strongest tradition left-over from this. Even so, it has turned into a tradition associated with evil. Paganism has nothing to do with the occult.) As is commonly known, LOADS of Christmas traditions are in fact Pagan - tinsel, mistletoe, the tree, gifts, feasting.

New Year was put only CLOSE to the proper New Year (time of equal sunlight, shortest day etc etc) to further confuse the masses. Disinformation again. The added advantage of being in the same week is to get a long holiday and the shops could have their extremely busy time in only one period of the year.

The old Pagan way makes a lot more sense. As an aside, as it was much maligned I have read a few books on Paganism, and although I felt comfortable and associated a lot with it, I found it to still be a religion.

 

[AdamW]

I actually know a few pagans of various paths. I am also a fan of the pagan band "Inkubus Sukkubus" and have attended one of their gigs (would do more but I rarely check their website).

Pagans actually have some very sound ideas on certain things, for example marriage. We all know someone who rushed into marriage and ended up divorced within a year. Most pagans have a two-stage marriage process. The first is "betrothal", then 1 year later you have a proper marriage.

Thinking about it, that's probably what the song "All around my hat" is about, what with all the diamond rings and the 12 month and a days in the lyrics (did I mention I'm seeing Status Quo next month? )

 

[Thermo]

did I mention I'm seeing Status Quo next month?

are they pagens then?

 

[notb665]

I actually know a few pagans of various paths. I am also a fan of the pagan band "Inkubus Sukkubus" and have attended one of their gigs (would do more but I rarely check their website).

Pagans actually have some very sound ideas on certain things, for example marriage. We all know someone who rushed into marriage and ended up divorced within a year. Most pagans have a two-stage marriage process. The first is "betrothal", then 1 year later you have a proper marriage.

Thinking about it, that's probably what the song "All around my hat" is about, what with all the diamond rings and the 12 month and a days in the lyrics (did I mention I'm seeing Status Quo next month? )

If I had to have a religion it'd be paganism, but a very pure form, none of that 'magick'. I'd have just the form which is basically a step on from animism.

'All Around My Hat', eh? Closet Steeleye Span fan are you? I am!

 

[Big_Spark]

December 21st would be ideal for the New Year. Shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and Longest in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

[AdamW]

December 21st would be ideal for the New Year. Shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and Longest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Well that was my first thought, but then I thought that an equinox would be even better because the day would be near-as-dammit the same length in either hemisphere.

As to Status Quo, they covered "All around my hat"... not as good as the Steeleye Span version of course, but really I just wanted to make you all jealous! I've been practicing putting my thumbs in my beltloops for weeks... except it's all seated so I might just end up headbutting the person in front