What Does New Years Mean to You?
By Veronica MacDonald Ditko
An Accidental Anthropologist
Many New Year’s traditions are about banishing bad spirits for an entire year. Whether it’s a Sicilian custom of having the darkest-haired person run from the back door to the front at midnight, or Mexican custom of shooting off fireworks on January 6 to scare spirits away, or an Asian custom of sending bad thoughts on boats down the river, it’s unique for each nationality.
New Year’s was a bit of a non-event at my house growing up. Our elderly Cousin Janet would visit, drink a lot of Drambuie and inevitably fall asleep watching “The Sound of Music,” which always seemed to be on TV around that time. She even gave us the video as a present, so we would never have to miss it!
Around that time we would usually have a large cheese fondue too. My mother is Swiss, so well, that’s tradition! It actually took a lot of preparation. My mother had to go to several specialty stores to find the right cheeses, liquor and bread. Now we can find Swiss cheese (I’m talking Gruyere, not the disgusting stuff with holes) at the local supermarket. Things have come a long way!
One year my brother had to explain to his other teenage friends he was the culprit after someone in the car said “What smells like cheese?” Too bad he’s allergic to dairy. He had to smell cheese fondue but couldn’t eat it! Too bad for him as well that my sister’s birthday in early January usually coincided with another stinky cheesy meal that would seep into every fiber of his clothing. That was totally normal for us!
I can’t say it was the fondue that made New Year’s for me, although I really loved finding the bits of shallots that had been simmering on the bottom of the pot. Yum! As I got older, New Year’s turned into sleepovers with movie marathons. That’s something I still enjoy today, although I sleep at my house! And as a parent to two young children, I rarely make it to seeing the ball drop in Times Square.
For me, New Year’s has always been more about introspection. I take my New Year’s Resolutions very seriously, although I’ll admit they usually only last until March. But I like the idea that I can wipe the slate clean and start anew. Every year I promise myself I’ll be a better person, I’ll approach things differently. And a little positivity does go a long way.
As I enter 2013, I truly am starting anew. A temporary job I had recently came to an end. I am one of the throngs of the partially (or totally) unemployed again. But this time I am determined not to be a number. I will do it differently this time. I have a plan. And I know being a better person is a huge part that, especially to myself. I suppose I am banishing bad spirits from my life! What bad can come from that?
Veronica MacDonald Ditko is originally from the Jersey Shore, but married and settled in northern New Jersey. Her journalism career started a decade ago after studying Psychology and Anthropology in Massachusetts. She has written for several newspapers and magazines including The Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Springfield Union News and Sunday Republican, Happi, Chemical Week, The Hawthorne Press, The Jewish Standard, Suite101.com and more.