In the Chinese zodiac, 2007 is the Year of the Pig (or the Year of the Boar if you prefer). Persons born in the Year of the Pig are honest and straightforward, patient and caring. Some famous pigs include David Letterman, Henry Ford, Jack Ruby, Tupac Shakur, and The Ultimate Warrior.
The Year of the Pig, the Chinese New Year, begins on February 18th. The Hebrew calendar begins with Rosh Hashana, which won’t happen until September 13th-14th of 2007 (or 5768, if you prefer). The Islamic New Year begins on January 20th–it will be the year 1428.
Even within the Gregorian calendar that we now use, the actual date of the new year has changed. The first day of the year has been celebrated on Christmas Day, Easter, and March 25th, Annunciation (celebrating the New Year on January 1st is known as Circumcision Style–I suggest googling this term for more info). The date seems arbitrary (although I don’t think arbitrary is the right word: read the history of different calendars here), but no matter: celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of another is vital. We reflect, assess, and plan anew. We toast our past triumphs and errors, and look forward to a fresh start. We make resolutions; we resolve to do the impossible (or at least improbable) on this day. We all get a chance at new life–if we choose to take it, that is, for it is always an option to cynically reject the possibility inherent in a new year. But just as we can reject Our Own Personal New Year on January 1st, we can just as easily embrace a new start on January 2nd, or January 3rd, or April 1st, or June 8th. A New Year is always accessible, if one so chooses.
Biblioklept 