What is the logic of "celebrating" a New Year?

[Winston]

I don't get something. What is the logic behind celebrating a "New Year"? I think this is one of those things where people celebrate it because "everyone else is doing it". But if you think about it, there's no logic behind it at all. I mean, an additional digit on a calendar year is not any sort of "event" that is happy or unhappy. It is not a positive or negative event. And it is not any sort of accomplishment to be proud of either. So why celebrate it?

It's understandable to celebrate some happy event, accomplishment, or new deal. Those are merits to celebrate. But just because a number moves in a calendar? If you think about it, there's no logic or reason behind it. It's an empty excuse to celebrate and party. Society ought to think of better reasons to celebrate things. Obviously, New Year is way overrated and devoid of any substance. What is so happy about a New Year? One has no idea what a "New Year" will even bring. So how is it a "positive event"? It isn't. It makes no sense.

People are not rational or driven by logic. They are programmed and conformist. This is a classic case of "people doing something only because everyone else is doing it."

[Winston]

Furthermore, most people are slaves to the system. They have nothing to celebrate each year except another year of slavery. Why don't they seek ways to become free instead?

Most plans or New Year resolutions either don't happen or end up being disappointments anyway. It's the same every year. It's nothing to celebrate, just more of the same. Next year, people will then say that the year was disappointing, and hope for a better one next year, and so forth, ad nauseum. It's pointless and fruitless and results in nothing - no changes or improvements.

[lookin4happiness]

the lucky guys will be getting good sexx and blowjobs tonight. that is the logic of it. Jeez Winston youd think having been out of America for a few years the grip of your so called "logic" would have loosened up by now

[have2fly]

Huge logic, Winston!

ALL OF YOU GUYS: visit Russia or any country of Former USSR for New Years Eve! It will blow your mind! People celebrate like there is no tomorrow, every New Years celebration in Russia/FSU could be compared to American: Christmas, 4th of July, graduation, Birthday - COMBINED into ONE! People prepare WEEKS before New Years, a few days before New Years people go shopping for foods and some people start cooking the evening before, on the 30th of December.

New Year celebration is THE biggest and most important holiday for 99% of the population! I am talking a whole country, literally, EVERY single person CELEBRATES. President of Russia (Ukraine too) makes a speech right before Kremlin clocks countdown to 12 midnight. MOST people watch president speak with champagne glasses filled, when he finally says: "With New Year" (shortened version of: "I congratulate you with New Year"), everyone screams and drinks champagne. Tables around are filled with foods often prepared from scratch, outside whole city bursts into fireworks that almost everyone shoots from their apartment. TV channels prepare congratulations and "New Year wishes" from famous stars, writers, politicians. There are special concerts, movies and shows on TV devoted for New Year celebration! IT IS AMAZING! Just by turning on your TV on New Years gives you amazing uplift of the mood and that "holiday" inspiration. Needless to say, how sad I was to see NONE of that in the U.S.! Most people just go to sleep on NYE.

Meaning of New Year for Russians and FSU: New Year brings new life, new inspiration, everything bad and troubled should stay in the passing year. Everyone wishes everyone love, happiness, luck and good things in the New Year. Everyone smiles, laughs, drinks, eats a lot of food etc. Of course, many people have sex during NYE! Absolutely crazy sex happens!

I had HUGE depression when I had my first New Years eve in America because NO ONE celebrates besides some parties in Downtown area. Otherwise there is no spirituality or perception of the holiday. Back when I lived in Ukraine, during New Years you just feel happy by default. Happiness is in the air! I can't describe it, one just has to feel it.

[Contrarian Expatriate]

In the days of old, death was often a sudden and premature event. To survive until the next year was a success indeed. I believe this has something to do with the tradition starting.

However, today New Years' celebrations are simply a justification for people to imbibe and party. No doubt the wine and spirits industry has a huge interest in the this time of year also.

[Iawesome60]

I don't get something. What is the logic behind celebrating a "New Year"? I think this is one of those things where people celebrate it because "everyone else is doing it". But if you think about it, there's no logic behind it at all. I mean, an additional digit on a calendar year is not any sort of "event" that is happy or unhappy. It is not a positive or negative event. And it is not any sort of accomplishment to be proud of either. So why celebrate it?

It's understandable to celebrate some happy event, accomplishment, or new deal. Those are merits to celebrate. But just because a number moves in a calendar? If you think about it, there's no logic or reason behind it. It's an empty excuse to celebrate and party. Society ought to think of better reasons to celebrate things. Obviously, New Year is way overrated and devoid of any substance. What is so happy about a New Year? One has no idea what a "New Year" will even bring. So how is it a "positive event"? It isn't. It makes no sense.

People are not rational or driven by logic. They are programmed and conformist. This is a classic case of "people doing something only because everyone else is doing it."

I believe the logic behind celebrating a "New Year" is life is passing by. When a "New Year" comes, it indicates we are getting older. We cannot deny getting older. I guess we celebrate it because it indicates that we finished a year. For example, finishing 2011 and going into 2012.

I guess many things make us happy about a "New Year." Examples are: we successfully finished a year, the "New Year" will be better than our previous years, etc. I concur with your point that "one has no idea what a "New Year" will even bring." It could be better, worse, or the same. The "New Year" is a positive event overall because it celebrates a finished year. I am going to give you an analogy. If someone wants to get a six pack and muscles, they have to work a certain amount of time to reach their goals. Their goals are to get a six pack and muscles. When they finally have a six pack and muscles, they feel accomplished. Everyone feels accomplished when a "New Year" comes, which occurs at a certain amount of days. New Year's Day take 365 days to occur during regular years and 366 days during leap years.

The point is New Year's Day indicates life is passing us by and it represents an opportunity for us to start over .

[onezero4u]

being from the cold ass northern mid-west, ive always wondered why we celebrated "NEW YEARS" in the middle of godam winter when every fuckin thing is dead or dormant....

why didnt we celebrate new year the first day of spring-spring equinox?? when shit is hatching, waking up, sprouting etc ???

im sure it was politically-religiously motivated by agenda's or egos.

[odbo]

[Winston]

havetofly,
That's all very well, but still, just because everyone is doing something doesn't make it logical.

Frankly, I've never understood what's so great or fun about getting drunk or wasted. I see no logical benefit in it. So what's so cool or great about it?

Also, New Year parties feel so cliched and overrated, like everyone is celebrating and cheering for no reason. They feel kind of empty and forced.

Furthermore, I never get laid at those parties anyway. Every girl I try to take home there simply makes excuses.

And in Angeles City, all the hot girls on New Year's Eve get barfined early or they don't want to be for some reason, or they change their mind and disappear, leaving me out of luck. I never have good luck that day, even in AC. One time, a hot girl I met was going to go with me on New Year's Eve, but Mr S dragged me away to somewhere else, and then when I came back, she was already barfined by someone else. Big regret there.

[have2fly]

Again, Winston! Although you've been abroad so many times or lived abroad, you still have that dumb enclosed "American" view on things! No offense! You are trying to fight close-mindedness on this forum, so here you go.

Celebration of New Years in Russia/FSU is about SPIRIT. There is a totally amazing feel in the air, as I said - EVERYONE is happy when New Year is near. Everyone is waiting for it, everyone wants to have it in a special way etc. You just can't imagine it until you live there and see it by yourself. It is absolutely AMAZING! More amazing than anything amazing in a lifetime of an average Joe from Texas. By the way, Russians joke a lot about Americans being so cold-hearted, boring and dumb - it is one of the reasons - Americans don't understand or have perception of "spirit" of holidays or many other things in life. Americans have left and right, Russians will consider side roads - it is just one example of thinking.
Another famous joke Russians tell about Americans:
"NASA had spent 5 million dollars to research a special pen that works in space in zero gravity. Russians spent no money and continued to use a pencil to write in space."
That just reflects how culture works and brain thinks in Russia/FSU. People are very creative, but not very organized in terms of management and structure precisely because they are so creative.

There is a HUGE difference on how and why people get drunk. Again, don't remember the American way! Americans get drunk because they feel like shit or because binge drinking is perceived "so much fun" in college. In Russia there is a saying: "If you drink alone - you are an alcoholic." So drinking is a social matter, drinking is used as a reason to get together and enjoy a company of your friends or make new friends, barely any decent people in Russia/FSU ever do binge drinking! Also drinking does not happen by "standing at a party" like it does in America, it usually happens by sitting at the table with home-made foods, deserts and amazing company, usually lots of hot girls that are very dressed up and expecting to get to know guys at the table.

Russians don't need a reason to get together, like Americans use football games as a reason to make barbecue with their families. Russians will just call their friend and ask: "Hey, wanna have a beer tonight? Let's meet up at *** bar at 6:00". That's it. And you know your friend will show up, if he does not, he will call you or text you. No flaky games are played like they happen in America. Unfortunately, U.S. is spreading its poisonous influence of not being responsible and narcissistic, so Moscow is slowly becoming similar in mentality to the U.S.

[NorthAmericanguy]

Huge logic, Winston!

ALL OF YOU GUYS: visit Russia or any country of Former USSR for New Years Eve! It will blow your mind! People celebrate like there is no tomorrow, every New Years celebration in Russia/FSU could be compared to American: Christmas, 4th of July, graduation, Birthday - COMBINED into ONE! People prepare WEEKS before New Years, a few days before New Years people go shopping for foods and some people start cooking the evening before, on the 30th of December.

New Year celebration is THE biggest and most important holiday for 99% of the population! I am talking a whole country, literally, EVERY single person CELEBRATES. President of Russia (Ukraine too) makes a speech right before Kremlin clocks countdown to 12 midnight. MOST people watch president speak with champagne glasses filled, when he finally says: "With New Year" (shortened version of: "I congratulate you with New Year"), everyone screams and drinks champagne. Tables around are filled with foods often prepared from scratch, outside whole city bursts into fireworks that almost everyone shoots from their apartment. TV channels prepare congratulations and "New Year wishes" from famous stars, writers, politicians. There are special concerts, movies and shows on TV devoted for New Year celebration! IT IS AMAZING! Just by turning on your TV on New Years gives you amazing uplift of the mood and that "holiday" inspiration. Needless to say, how sad I was to see NONE of that in the U.S.! Most people just go to sleep on NYE.

Meaning of New Year for Russians and FSU: New Year brings new life, new inspiration, everything bad and troubled should stay in the passing year. Everyone wishes everyone love, happiness, luck and good things in the New Year. Everyone smiles, laughs, drinks, eats a lot of food etc. Of course, many people have sex during NYE! Absolutely crazy sex happens!

I had HUGE depression when I had my first New Years eve in America because NO ONE celebrates besides some parties in Downtown area. Otherwise there is no spirituality or perception of the holiday. Back when I lived in Ukraine, during New Years you just feel happy by default. Happiness is in the air! I can't describe it, one just has to feel it.

Good post. Very interesting.

As far as American NYE, well, America use to be the place to be to spend NYE from the 50's all the way through the 80's/90's.

You figure, back then, guys like Frank Sinatra were alive, USA was going into outer space for the first time, America was in good favor around the word, and everybody from around the world was migrating to America looking for prosperity. So with that said, America was simply the place to be, during that time. Its the place my mom always talks about but refuses to acknowledge that it's gone.

So in other words, all those people who MADE America (for better or worse) are dead, or very old, so American culture has changed, and unfortunately, young Americans today lack ingenuity, charisma and basic physical fitness (lol) to reinvent things to make it exciting again.

[NorthAmericanguy]

In the days of old, death was often a sudden and premature event. To survive until the next year was a success indeed. I believe this has something to do with the tradition starting.

However, today New Years' celebrations are simply a justification for people to imbibe and party. No doubt the wine and spirits industry has a huge interest in the this time of year also.

^^ +1

[NorthAmericanguy]

Furthermore, most people are slaves to the system. They have nothing to celebrate each year except another year of slavery. Why don't they seek ways to become free instead?
.

Your post made me laugh.

But seriously, not everybody feels as though they are a slave and not everybody is a REAL slave (i.e., Circa 1800's cotton picker) regardless if they feel like one.


Keep things in prospective, if everybody was to be "free" then many modern conveniences that you and I have could no longer be had (i.e, clean bottled water) and we would have to do for self.

So its a paradox, because, seeking freedom means taking on more responsibility (that some just can't handle) while giving up some freedom means passing the responsibly to somebody else which when done right leads to a easier life.

For example, I have spoken to people who rather have a job and a boss because it's just easier for them to punch in and punch out and not have to worry about anything else after work except collecting a pay check every two weeks.

[cadams84]

You do not have to use every event to try and convince people you are a free thinking intellectual or a reason to have a soap box moment. What is the logic behind an anniversary? What is the logic behind a birthday? None of them really matter because they are measurements of time and time is relative.

People need an excuse to have a party to take a moment and hope maybe the new year will be better than the last. Tell the people that lived through the tsunami in Japan, the drought in East Africa, flooding in Thailand, typhoon in the Philippines and the storms across the United States there is no reason to look toward the future and hope next year will be better.

I like new years, if nothing else it is a good excuse to stay up half the night and party with my friends. It is really the only world wide holiday that is not based on what country you are from or what your religion is.

[momopi]

I don't get something. What is the logic behind celebrating a "New Year"? I think this is one of those things where people celebrate it because "everyone else is doing it". But if you think about it, there's no logic behind it at all. I mean, an additional digit on a calendar year is not any sort of "event" that is happy or unhappy. It is not a positive or negative event. And it is not any sort of accomplishment to be proud of either. So why celebrate it?
It's understandable to celebrate some happy event, accomplishment, or new deal. Those are merits to celebrate. But just because a number moves in a calendar? If you think about it, there's no logic or reason behind it. It's an empty excuse to celebrate and party. Society ought to think of better reasons to celebrate things. Obviously, New Year is way overrated and devoid of any substance. What is so happy about a New Year? One has no idea what a "New Year" will even bring. So how is it a "positive event"? It isn't. It makes no sense.
People are not rational or driven by logic. They are programmed and conformist. This is a classic case of "people doing something only because everyone else is doing it."

Speaking from personal perspective, as you get older, your friends have less time to hang out due to family and work or business obligations. In Dec there are 2 vacation periods, the first is Xmas which is usually reserved for extended family, and the 2nd is New Year and reserved for friends. This year we had a smallish New Year party & pot luck with 16 people, which fit comfortably between the living room and dining room. We watched the annual NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle), downed 4 or 5 bottles of wine, and had enough food to layout a 2 table buffet plus large doggy bags for everyone. Wished that we had a bigger oven... our guests cleaned out my 11 lb prime rib to the bone. @_@;;

From a practical perspective, the event is used to maintain reciprocal relationship with friends. We discuss who's sibling/cousin is single and who might be a good marriage match with compatible goals and family backgrounds (Omiai), request our architect/contractor friend to do repair and concrete work on an investment property, discuss latest RE trends, latest franchises, opportunities, barter services, exchange recipes, make plans for major group outings (must do this early, we proposed a 2 week trip to Italy), discuss upcoming 2012 weddings/engagement events (who can attend, should we pool $ for gift/how much, am I stuck as MC, etc), and of course, gamble with mahjong and Texas hold 'em poker.

We've had parties that were far bigger in the past, but it was unmanageable with too many people. I think this year it worked out pretty well and, we'd keep it to under 20 guests in the future. I'm hoping that the Italy trip will work out, because I missed a previous trip to Egypt with them. There are cost considerations so everyone will have to start saving money early. Our friends are mostly professionals and business owners, so we tend to give them (and those referred by them or from extended social circles) our business where applicable, instead of hiring a stranger.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0PxMzZ ... re=related[/youtube]


Anyways, the bottom line is, people who enjoy the New Year Parties will continue to have them, versus those who don't will stay home and sulk.