Alright gang, grab a cuppa because this New Year’s post almost didn’t happen. Seriously, I was knee-deep in my usual holiday laziness, thinking I’d just recycle old content. Then it hit me – do I actually know why we even do this whole January 1st thing? Felt like a total fraud.
The Deep Dive Begins (Mostly Down Internet Rabbitholes)
First, I just typed “why January 1 new year” into the void. Expected a simple answer. Got… chaos. Turns out, everyone and their uncle claimed credit for picking the date.
- The Babylonians apparently started the party 4000 years back? Wild. But they did it in March.
- Then the Romans jumped in. Julius Caesar himself basically said “Yo, January 1st it is!” (Thanks Gregorian calendar!). But convincing everyone else took forever.
- My coffee almost went cold reading about how England only switched over in flippin’ 1752. People rioted over “losing” days! Humans never change.
Felt like detective work, piecing together scraps. Half the sites contradicted each other. One minute I’m nodding along, the next I’m shouting “That can’t be right!” at the screen. Ended up cross-referencing like five sources just to feel semi-confident. Research is messy, folks.
Picking the Top 3 Customs? Like Herding Cats
Figuring why we celebrate was one thing. Narrowing down customs? Whole other beast. I scribbled down maybe twenty common ones – so much kale! – and stared at the list. Needed universal appeal.
Started asking my family, my neighbor Dave, even the mail carrier. “What do you actually do every year?” Cut the fluff. Top answers kept popping up:
- Resolution Time: Every. Single. Person. mentioned this. Usually followed by eye-rolls about gym memberships.
- Food & Booze: Absolutely non-negotiable. Whether it’s grapes at midnight or champagne sprays, we gotta eat and drink to it.
- Making a Racket: Dave mentioned banging pots as a kid. Fireworks, horns, singing – drowning out the old year with noise. Makes sense!
Hoping people feel this. We all do some version of these three, right? Didn’t wanna get too niche.
Putting Pen to Paper (Fingers to Keyboard)
Sitting down to write was the real hurdle. Started overly formal, like a history textbook. Deleted it all. Remembered the sample vibe – gotta be real, messy even. Started typing just like I was ranting to a friend about the weird Babylonian March thing.
Shared the frustration of confusing sources, the surprise of finding England was stubborn, the messy scribble list. Ended with the resolutions/kale joke because honestly, who doesn’t have that thought? Kept it raw.
Looking Back & Why This Stuck
Forget the resolutions. This was the most honest “starting over” moment. Why? Because honestly, I was just pissed off realizing how little I knew about something I celebrate every dang year. It felt personal.
Like that programmer sample mentioning the messy code – it’s relatable because it’s real. That itch to just know, even when it’s complicated and contradictory. That moment you realize things you take for granted have bonkers histories.
It stuck because the research felt human – messy, surprising, sometimes frustrating. Kinda like New Year’s itself.