As the year comes to a close people prepare to welcome the coming new year with new hopes, enthusiasm and tradition. There are those who take this opportunity to have their family reunions or see some long lost friends or make new ones.
In my case, we make it a point that our old college group gets to spend the night and the wee hours of the morning in celebration of dining, drink and merry making after all we have been doing this tradition for the past 33 yrs. Things have changed in those years, I sued to host it every year but after the 30th, we all agreed that we will take turns hosting the event and just make sure that every 5 years i will host it. The appearances may have changed, the topics may be different as it was more current events rather than history. It used to be reminiscing the college days but now it is about our kids, who are graduating, what businesses are we into and what type of sickness and medication we are on after all we are mostly in the 48 - 50+ age range. Nevertheless it was still lots of fun.
But what is it that we really do when we welcome the new year? Most of us go into traditions or rituals that supposedly prepares the new year for better promises. We use fire crackers to drive away the evil spirits of the old year and welcome the new year with a bang. But as we continue this tradition, check yourself as you brag about the amount you spent on them with your friends while lighting them and then regret spending that huge amount the day after when your hang-over is gone. That tradition is not even local, but was given to us by Chinese settlers in the old days. You start your year with regret and hopefully not in the hospital for injuries you might have sustained while playing with these pyrotechnics while intoxicated.
Another tradition is the gathering of 12 different round fruits which is supposed to symbolize money for each month of the year, we put them as the centrepiece of our dinner table and do not touch them until they are all dried up and become rotten. We dare not eat them as it is not part of tradition. Then when you are starting to throw them out a week after, you complain of the fruit flies and the money you spent buying them and not even able to eat them. Again you start of the year with bitterness having wasted money.
So what other traditions do we do to ward of bad luck and welcome the year with hopes of good luck:
1. There is the opening of all lights, all doors, windows, cabinets and drawers which signifies a "welcome" to the luck of the new year. Look at this rationally, you open all your doors and windows a midst the pyrotechnics and fire crackers so you just allowed all that gun powder smoke and dirt into your home and drawers.
2. The scattering of coins on the steps of your stairs, window sills, door ways and the floor - you just made your house very unsafe as people can slip on those coins and break something.
3. The wearing of polka dot clothes - now why would you spend on something that you will not wear on a regular basis since you would look like a clown in those polka dot clothes.
4. Putting of coins and new paper bills in your pockets - it is suppose to give you luck so that you will have money in your pockets always. Now how can you do that it you do not have a job or are a plain housewife who has no income. Practical reason dictates that money is not earned on luck.
And so many other traditions and rituals that people do just so that they canhave an edge or that so called luck for the new year.
So why is it that even educated people do this? Some say there is no harm in following tradition, well i say there is since it harmed your pockets and budget. So if you cannot do any of these stuff, logic dictates that you will have a very unlucky and miserable year.
Isn't it just sad that we based our fate not on faith but on luck. So what happened to prayer and believing in the Lord's promise that He will provide for all of our needs. So what happened to our faith in the Lord, are we saying that the power of luck and superstition is more powerful than what the Lord Almighty can do for us.
Think about it, how can 12 round fruits, pyrotechnics coins on my window sill, bills in my pocket and a polka dot shirt predict my future for the coming year? I would rather put my trust on the Lord and see how He surprises me with the numerous blessing He has planned for me.
I am thankful for the past 4 years that the Lord has provided for me and my family. I have lifted up in prayer everything that I need and I mean everything to the Lord. We eat 3 square meals a day, I have a job, my children all are in exclusive college schools, I have a car, a roof over my head and enough to buy the little luxuries in life. I never did any of these traditions and superstitions and I am good. Happy New Year!
To GOD be all the GLORY.
