New Years... Where and Why?~ An Article by Amie Gregory

Have you ever wondered how New Year's got started or why we have some of the things that go along with New Years? Well my mom, Amie Gregory, did some research. Here's what she found out.

New Year's was first observed 4000 years ago in Babylon, around 2000 BC, beginning with the first new moon. The new moon came after the Vernal Equinox and was the first day or spring. The beginning of spring was the season of rebirth and planting new crops.

The Romans observed the New Year in late March, but their calendar was always being altered by different emperors. This caused the calendar to not be in sync with the sun. Not until Julius Caesar established the Julian Calendar, in 46 BC, did the New Year become January 1st once again. There was one problem with doing this. They had to have a year that drag on for 445 days to get back in sync with the sun. That is 99 days longer than out typical year.

New Years is observed by some denominations as the Feast of Christ's circumcision. Western nations have been celebrating New Years for about 400 years. The Tournament of Roses Parade, which began in 1886, was to celebrate the ripening of the orange crop in California. We now have the Rose Bowl football game. The New Years baby was a symbol of rebirth that was brought to early America by the Germans.

New Years is celebrated in different ways all around the world as a new beginning. I would like everyone to look back at the previous year and learn from it, praise God for it, and leave some of it behind. As for me, I am going to look back at the previous years and praise God for bringing me through abundantly, with grace and mercy and I will look ahead to the New Year as a new season of growing closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and being molded into His image. May HIS will be done.

Bible

by Lauren K.

Let your pages be worn and torn,

Let them be dog-eared and folded,

Let the pages be colored by Post-It notes.

Let the pages be colored by the mark of pens.

Let the binding come undone and let the cover become pliable and soft to the touch.

Let there be crumbs among the pages and droplets of water that nearly smear the lettering.

Let it look old like an antique.

Let it look fragile.

Now, most look new and in pristine condition-collecting dust while sitting as a centerpiece atop the living room table.

But make it look fragile.

Those who have the weakest Bible are strongest at heart.