On this last day of 2007, I feel some sadness in saying goodbye to another year. Changing the annual calendars is such an adrupt marker of the passage of time and of aging, inducing a twinge of melancholy in me. I’ve sometimes wondered if all the partying, drinking and merriment is a way to avoid looking at Father Time in the eye.

Not being party types, we usually spend New Year’s Eve with a couple of good friends or just the two of us as it will be tonight. I remember our first New Year’s as new parents of a baby. We were to go to friends with her but she became feverish and we decided to stay home, and that night I taught my husband how to play chess.

In recent years I’ve been acknowledging New Year’s Eve as the sixth day of Christmas and the beginnings of a gradual lightening of the darkness, a sort of ancient ritual practised in thought and writing. I also like to remember an occasion or three in my childhood when we followed an old Finnish tradition of pouring molten tin into snow and reading our fortunes from the shapes, all in fun.

Instead of fortunes in odd shapes of metal, I offer up these frost stars and ice flowers of hope, peace and beauty for all of you reading this, and for this earth and everyone on it. Thank you to all of you, whether or not you comment here, for visiting my blog through the year and making this blog endeavour a less lonely pursuit! I love the connections and friendships with others all over this globe and feel that we do make a small difference in making the world a better place.

I wish you all many new successes and joys, good health, peace and contentment, and abundant creativity. Happy New Year! Hauskaa Uutta Vuotta! Bonne année! Allen ein frohes Neues Jahr!

Addendum Jan.2, 2008: I came across this at Wood s Lot a little late, but worth noting:
New Year’s Day History, Customs and Traditions at new-to-me blog Follow Me Here that I just bookmarked for further explorations.

Our granddaughter Lael’s annual Winter Story has become her family’s traditional Christmas greeting to all their family and friends. As always, Lael (now 7 years) does the delightful drawings and tells the story. Her father creates them into an animation. I’m so proud to share this year’s story here. Stay with it and listen to Lael sing at the end. Check out the past winter stories as well. Enjoy!

December 20th, 2007 at 3:56 pm, usually dark on rainy days.

I was awake and wandering in the wee hours yesterday morning and noticed an almost full moon, the cold moon, lighting up the outdoors and streaming in through the unshaded windows on the west side. Stars sparkled. Frost sparkled. All looked magical after another long spell of dark dreary rainy nights, and days. The day came and was mostly clear and sunny, uplifting spirits, and inviting us out for a walk. A good thing, for the rains are back today and it promises to be a rainy green Christmas again.

December 20th, 2007 at 5:12 pm. The mountain tops look like they are on fire, while below we are in darkness. A superb solstice sign.

Tonight or very early tomorrow, here on the west coast of North America, it’s the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Now we can look forward to lengthening days, a slow easing of the winter darkness. Several communities in Vancouver celebrate with a annual winter solstice lantern festival, a nod to the ancient pagan tradition of Yule, Yulefest, Jul, Jól, Joulu and other namings.

If you are in a reasonable time zone, you can even watch the webcast of the solstice sunrise at Newgrange in Ireland! I tried last night, but could not get connected. Maybe I’ll have better luck tonight if I’m up late enough.

I raise a glass of glögg to all of you, dear readers, as we look forward to light. Happy solstice!

And a look back in the archives: 2004, 2005, and 2006