Home Columnists Fr Paddy: Happy 2020 – it’s always an opportunity to begin again

Fr Paddy: Happy 2020 – it’s always an opportunity to begin again

It’s hard to believe we are almost ready to begin another new year, the rituals of celebrating a new year is an ancient one.

It’s been for centuries that the New Year’s Day is observed on January 1st. However, we don’t exactly know when this date was chosen as the first day of the New Year.

While we are looking forward to celebrating the Happy New Year 2020, discussing the history of the event seemed important.

Though we don’t know about the exact origin, we know that it started more than a thousand years ago when the ancient Babylonians used to celebrate such events.

Later, during the Roman Empire, it was common to celebrate the New Year event, however, the date of the celebrations changed when the Julian calendar was implemented by Julius Cesar.

Many centuries ago when the Gregorian calendar was invented, the date finally became 1st January which is still followed in 2020.

Also, the shape of celebrations and New Year traditions differ in the modern age, however, at some places of the world, the older traditions are still respected and followed.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

New Year Resolutions are one of the interesting things about the arrival of the New Year.

This is because people who are having difficulty while achieving their dreams set different goals on the arrival of the event and start following them from the 1st January.

This gives them a psychological advantage and people with commitments have achieved greater things by following their New Year goals.

Hopefully you are looking forward to the New Year, it is always an opportunity to begin again, looking forward to bringing improvements in your life is also desired by us all.

I like the following New Year Resolutions which you can set for the New Year 2020 and make your life better.

 Work on learning new skills every month.

 Control and work on your emotional being.

 Be kind and have a positive attitude.

 Start meditating – be open to the spiritual.

 Pick new hobbies.

 Play more sports.

 Cut down on calories.

 Schedule everything.

 Be grateful for what you have.

 Get rid of procrastination.

 Don’t miss out on doing plans.

 Work on your confidence.

 Work on your Charisma and IQ.

We know too, more than anything else, that our health is our wealth.

I pray that this New Year will be a healthy and happy one for us all. It’s a fresh time and an opportunity for us all to begin again. 

BEGIN

Begin again to the summoning birds, to the sight of the light at the window.

Begin to the roar of morning traffic, all along Pembroke Road.

Every beginning is a promise, born in light and dying in dark, determination and exaltation of springtime flowering the way to work.

Begin to the pageant of queuing girls, the arrogant loneliness of swans in the canal, bridges linking the past and future, old friends passing through with us still.

Begin to the loneliness that cannot end, since it perhaps is what makes us begin.

Begin to wonder at unknown faces, at crying birds in the sudden rain, at branches stark in the willing          sunlight, at seagulls foraging for bread, at couples sharing a sunny secret, alone together while making good.

Though we live in a world that dreams of ending, that always seems about to give in, something that will not acknowledge conclusion, insists that we forever begin.

SEE ALSO – Fr Paddy: Christmas is a time to get real