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 Happy New Year!!!!! It is a phrase that we will all use many times over the next week or so. I have become so used to it over the years that it seems to be said without much thought. So this year you might say one of my early resolutions was to learn a little about this yearly celebration. Here is some of the information I gathered.

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible crescent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of Spring).

It seems to me that the ancients got it right. As a gardener I think that spring would be the sensible time to start a new year. Spring has always signified renewal and rebirth with the planting of crops. When you think of it the choice of January 1 has no raison d’être in regards to astronomy or agriculture.

Where the trouble all began is when numerous Roman emperors could not keep themselves from messing with the calendar. They twisted, turned and toyed with the calendar until it was completely out of sync with the sun. Here’s a little tidbit about their playing fast and loose with Mother Nature.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar has to let the previous year DRAG on for 445 days.

All I can say is that if you were having a bad year it would definitely fit the description coined by Queen Elizabeth when she called the year of her children’s divorces ANNUS HORRIBULUS.

I also discovered a couple of other interesting facts about New Year traditions. In regards to the traditions of making resolutions, this also dates back to the Babylonians. However I believe they made much more sensible and useful resolutions.

The most popular resolution in Babylonian times was to return borrowed farm equipment. As a gardener this one makes sense to me. I think I will check out it my work shed and finally get that large shovel back to Don Freeman. I think I left it for him at the greenhouse, but hey that could just be one of those fig newtons of my imagination. Don let me know if I have lost my mind or lost your shovel! With my dumb luck it could be both!!

And here’s a fact that we women will be able to lord over the men. The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California. The football game did not become a part of the festivities until 1902. The following year it was replaced by Roman Chariot Races. Considering all the football offered on television today on New Year’s Day, maybe it would be a nice touch to bring back the chariot races? Come on guys, a gal’s gotta try!!!!

Add the fact that we eat black-eyed peas for good luck and I think that a strong case for moving New Year’s Day to springtime is made. That way, this year, I would be given a few more months before I would have to deal with deciding upon all those resolutions and the inevitable breaking of most of them in short order. Hey, I have been so busy I have broken every resolution I had earlier in the year about getting ready for Christmas and getting the garden ready for winter. This would give me a couple of months to play catch up and not feel so guilty.

However there is one resolution I have and that is to make sure that we all have a great time being Master Gardeners. Come join in the fun this year. Make a resolution to mark the meeting dates in your calendar. Be a part of the wonderful projects at the greenhouse, assist with the 2002 Spring M.G.class, help with phone duty at Extension, come on the field trips and attend the hands on educational programs.

Remember that the January meeting will be on Thursday January 3rd same time same place.

Another important notice is that the Landscape Design Course Seminar has been moved to a new date, February 16. If you have any concerns or questions please contact Carolyn Williams.

Also at the January meeting please be sure to check at the sign-in table and make sure that your contact information is current and correct and listed.

We encourage you to give us feedback on how we are doing as an organization. We welcome your suggestions for projects and educational events. Feel free to contact me or any of the other board members.

I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Susan Cashin

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