Happy New Year - Already?

It occurred to me recently that today, 22nd December, the day after the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, is really the first day of a new year. More ancient peoples and their pagan descendants of today, those with a much more intimate sense of connection with nature seem to recognise this, with their rituals surrounding the 'return' of the sun, the driving out of darkness and evil and calling of blessing upon their lives and creation. And as the sun gains in height and strength, the rituals of blessing continue as the year progresses.

Many of the rest of us, less connected with nature, or brought up in the  more urban, Westernized Christian tradition will, one way or another, catch up in a few days time with our celebration of Christmas and then New Year; with our rituals, both secular and Christian, casting our hopes, prayers and blessing for the days ahead.

Christians in a rural environment may go on to celebrate Plough Sunday and Plough Monday in January; Rogationtide in May; Lammas in August and Harvest in September/October; the last of which we urban Christians still tend to keep. But all of these festivals have connection with the earth and in them Christians pray for blessing on its bounty.

Whoever we are, and wherever we are, most of us begin to look forward, at this time of year to renewed prosperity of body, mind, soul and circumstances, involving not just ourselves but family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues and neighbours. Hopes, dreams and prayers are refreshing of body, mind and soul in these shorter days of little light and even less warmth.

It's no accident therefore, and it was certainly adroit of early Christians to overlay pagan celebrations with Christian ones, connecting the originally pagan themes with the life and work of Jesus. And there's nothing at all unchristian or disingenuous about connecting the Son of God the Creator with that which He, as that part of the Holy Trinity which was 'begotten not created', actually created; just as an artist is 'in' their work of art.

From this Christian perspective, Charles Wesley captures much of this, in the imagery he used in a hymn verse:

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ the true the only light,
Sun of Righteousness arise,
triumph o'er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar in my heart appear.

So from whatever religious tradition we follow, or not, may we all cast abroad our hopes, prayers and blessings for renewal of body, mind, soul and circumstances on this (new year's?) day and in coming days.