New Year's Day

From; Tuesday, January 1, 2008
1:21:00 PM EST Feeling: Happy
Watcing:Twlight Zone

I grew up with many, many New Year's traditions.
The coming New Year was just as exciting for us as the other holidays.
My mum made it so.
My sister and I got to stay up late 12 to see the New Year come in.
My step-father always insisted in having a BBQ's Pig's Head (yuck! never knew the reason for that, nor did I partake) Black-eye peas; the more peas you ate, the more money you would recieve the coming year. I remember as a child, we would take down the Christmas tree in the evening.
When I became an adult, I would develope a few of my own.
When I was single, and still celebrated Christmas,I kept Old Christmas and the trees (two) didn't come down until Januray 7th. I loved celebrating the 12 days of Christmas and still have fond memories. During this time, I also celebrated Hanukkah, so the month of December was a month of joy and wonder in my home.
But the more I studied my Jewish roots and the history of the early believers, I found much of our Jewish had been removed and replaced with pagan worship. So I began to rediscover my roots and fully embrace them.
I did the same with New Year's Eve. I no longer went out, partying the New Year away, but often went to an all night prayer service, spend the evening reading the book of Ecclesiastes. On New Year's I would read Proverbs.
There is one tradition that I heard about that I loved. Opening the front door to escort the Old Year out and welcome the New Year in.
Last year, Mark and I were at our Shul, praying in the New Year. Then we came home, drank a glass of wine out of our wedding glasses, danced and then I love this little tradition of ours.
This year, Mark called me from Iraq. We brought in the New Year together telling each other "I Love You!" The sweetness and joy I felt hearing the voice of my beloved. Even in Iraq, he causes Since there is no wine where Mark is, he drank grape juice to my wine. But my beloved should be home for the coming of 2009.....