Relatively speaking, it hasn’t been all that long since we started observing January 1 as the first day of the year. The ancient Romans initiated the tradition around the year 153 BC for political and military reasons, naming the first month after Janus, the god of doorways, gates, and thresholds.
The first day of our calendar year is hard wired as a beginning into every aspect of our lives, but perhaps it is not the one that aligns best with our bodies and souls.
The first Sunday of Advent marks the first day of the liturgical church year. According to that, November 30, 2025, was the first day of our current year.
Today, we’re still within the twelve days of Christmas (until Epiphany on January 6). It’s barely winter, and it’s dark. Where I live, sunrise wasn’t until 9:02 this morning, and the sun will set at 5:09 p.m. It doesn’t seem like a new beginning.
According to nature’s cycle, spring is the beginning. Pairing the first day of a new year with the spring solstice around March 21 seems most intuitive. But we live in a world where men have declared that January 1 marks the beginning of a new year. So here we are.
Like many of you, I hung a new calendar in my office this morning and created new tabs in the spreadsheet where I keep our household accounts. I’ve been in a “tidy-up” mode for a few days, consciously or unconsciously, preparing for the start of 2026.
The online spaces I visited early on this first morning of January, when it was still dark and quiet, were fat with opportunities to sign up for shiny new things and make fresh starts. It all started to feel like too much, so I tiptoed away.
January First You need time to stretch and crawl out of the rubble with your still-wet wings hanging low. Be still. Let Mystery's sweet breath fan them dry until they rise, revealing their beauty. But already, there is noise. The first task of a new year is to resist. Stay quiet. Let the holy settle. Embrace the unveiling.
Let winter do its work and embrace a season of lying fallow. Set your goals and make your resolutions if you must, but be mindful of what your body and soul need. Next week, the world will start churning again. In my working years, I looked forward to the return to a routine in the new year—still do, in a sense. But today, and maybe tomorrow, and for as many days as you can, resist the pull. Rest. Be still. Listen to what your body and soul are telling you.