It is the eve before the new year starts!
Well, that is, before the calendar year we use in Scotland starts. The financial year, the academic year, and the agricultural years have different starts. As do the multiple liturgical years observed by people living and settled in Scotland. There is also the lunar year which is still used frequently enough by enough people to be available on calendars in high street shops.
There are many possible origins and meanings for the word “Hogmanay”. Most people can agree though that even if they don’t go all out celebrating it, it is a good opportunity to relax a bit and enjoy being alive.
What does it mean to you as you read this? Take some time out to reflect on that. If you have the luxury, perhaps you can use the opportunity to contemplate time itself.
Our lives are made up of many moments, and we have great flexibility in how we as humans string them in to a story which supports our sense of self. We don’t have complete freedom, because that self is also held in the stories others tell about us. The friends and associates we live with are in many ways the mycelium which support the growth of our mushroom like visible selves.
Significant cultural moments like hogmanay provide opportunities for events and the telling of stories in a way that can reset this, and provide a fresh start. As the year unfolds resolutions we make can grow into our new identity – if our relationships confirm any inner change!
So all the best for the new year, and a happy Hogmanay.