New Year's Eve

Night Clubbing

Painting by Tamara de Lempicka

New Year's eve once held a special fascination for me as a boy because of all the 1930's screwball comedies I used to watch on TV, depicting a mad-cap gala, while awaiting my parents return home with noise-makers and crowns for us to play with.

Later, when night clubbing on this eve, I desperately tried to have the same fun I imagined from the old movies. I never, ever had a fun time on New Years. Nevertheless, I still like the Art Deco memories the artist de Lempicka documented so well in her paintings.

New Year's is far too overrated. For me, it's nothing but a chronological transition, a turn of the page in one's calendar.

Fr. Nicholas has a charming history of New Year's traditions on his blog "Roman Miscellany". The feast of the Annunciation at one time was the New Years commemoration, I like that.

(If you never read the British Catholic blogs, I highly recommend you do - they are extremely informative and revealing as to how fervent the British are in their faith, their concern for continuity and the Church, not to mention their ardent desire for "the dowry" to be returned to the Church of Rome. I am always edified with these sons and daughters of the great martyrs of the Church of England and Wales.) Pictured below, The Martyrs of England and Wales.