Blog

Beginnings and Endings
Thursday, December 30, 2021 by Vicki Dorshorn

People didn’t always celebrate January 1 as New Year’s Day. In fact, from 1155–1751 the English year began on March 25. In 1752, it was changed back to January 1, which had been their New Year from 1087–1155.

Other countries used other dates to mark a new year. Some of the ones commonly used were December 25, September 24, and March 25. In fact, in prior centuries, different countries often used different calendars.

Our current calendar is the Gregorian one, based on the Julian calendar but modified slightly for the solar year. It is the calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in October 1582.

If we were to follow the law given by Moses to the people of Israel, God’s chosen nation, we would observe the “beginning of months” or first month of the year in the month in which the Passover is celebrated. The first Passover initiated the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The celebration with the Passover lamb includes marking doorposts with sacrificial blood to guarantee salvation. It represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for the salvation of all who believe in him. See 1 Corinthians 5:7—“Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (KJV). *

In reality, our first moment of time as a born-again Christian (accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord) is the beginning of the days of our new creation life. We can count our years as a Christian based on that date. We are assured of this in 2 Corinthians 5:17 where Paul writes, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT).

However, it would be confusing if everyone were to designate their own New Year’s Day to celebrate. And what would those do who were not celebrating a new life? Certainly, the beginning of a new creation life is far more significant than the beginning of a year. Thus, we can individually mark the beginning of our new life while acknowledging the New Year’s Day according to the times of our culture.

Since our country (and most of the world) marks time by the Gregorian calendar, we can safely wish our friends in other lands a “Happy New Year” and know that it will be the same as our New Year’s Day—January 1.

The name “January” comes from the ancient name Janus, of the Roman god of gates, doorways, beginnings, and endings. Though we reject the mythology, there is something to that name’s meaning that just fits the “beginning of months” in a year.

We end one year and step into another like leaving one room and walking through the doorway into another. We come to a gate on the road of life and step through it, closing it behind us and pressing on into a new stretch of road. The ending of one year is followed by the beginning of another.

So, I wish all my friends and family a Happy New Year. But more than that, I wish for them a new year blessed with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in their life.

*(For more on the Passover, read Exodus 12—13.)   

Share This Blog:


Previous Posts

Crack in the Liberty Bell
Vicki Dorshorn

7/4/2022

Resurrection Miracles
Vicki Dorshorn

4/16/2022

Globalism: Olympic Games Canceled
Vicki Dorshorn

2/20/2022

Happy Valentine's Day from God
Vicki Dorshorn

2/13/2022

Beginnings and Endings
Vicki Dorshorn

12/30/2021

The Light of the World
Vicki Dorshorn

12/24/2021

He Is Risen As He Said
Victoria Dorshorn

4/2/2021

Three M's of Christmas
Vicki Dorshorn

12/25/2020

Silenced and Silent
Vicki Dorshorn

8/4/2020

The Right Way
Vicki Dorshorn

7/13/2020

"Let Freedom Ring"
Vicki Dorshorn

7/3/2020

Caring and Sharing
Vicki Dorshorn

6/20/2020

One Race -- Two Creations
Vicki Dorshorn

6/10/2020

An End to Racism
Vicki Dorshorn

6/2/2020

With One Voice
Vicki Dorshorn

5/24/2020

Trust in God
Vicki Dorshorn

5/17/2020

A Firm Foundation
Vicki Dorshorn

5/9/2020

No Fear!
Vicki Dorshorn

5/2/2020

Author of Peace, Not Confusion
Vicki Dorshorn

4/28/2020

Too Timid to Tell
Vicki Dorshorn

4/24/2020

Resurrection Promise
Vicki Dorshorn

4/11/2020

God's Mercies
Vicki Dorshorn

4/2/2020

Yet I Will Rejoice
Vicki Dorshorn

3/18/2020

Slow Suicide—Part 2
Vicki Dorshorn

3/5/2020

Slow Suicide—Part 1
Vicki Dorshorn

3/2/2020

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y
Vicki Dorshorn

2/6/2020

A Stable and an Empty Tomb
Vicki Dorshorn

12/24/2019

Do Definitions Matter?
Vicki Dorshorn

12/17/2019

Darkness Creeping In
Vicki Dorshorn

11/26/2019

The Presence and Purpose of Pain and Sorrow
Vicki Dorshorn

8/31/2019

Salt and Light
Vicki Dorshorn

8/21/2019

Real Rainbows and True Light
Vicki Dorshorn

8/17/2019

The Light of Life
Vicki Dorshorn

8/7/2019

A Giant Eraser
Vicki Dorshorn

4/23/2018

He Is Risen
Vicki Dorshorn

3/30/2018

Rejection
Vicki Dorshorn

7/22/2015

Liberty Bell & more
Vicki Dorshorn

7/4/2015

Breaking News
Vicki Dorshorn

6/22/2015

Cracked Foundations
Vicki Dorshorn

6/12/2015

Power Transformers
Vicki Dorshorn

6/5/2015

Transformers
Vicki Dorshorn

5/28/2015

What is my name?
Vicki Dorshorn

5/20/2015

What age is Jesus for you?
Vicki Dorshorn

12/21/2014

Part 2 - Stories of Sovereignty from England
Vicki Dorshorn

11/21/2014

Stories of Sovereignty from England
Vicki Dorshorn

11/15/2014

Coincidence or Sovereignty?
Vicki Dorshorn

11/3/2014

Time to Care
Vicki Dorshorn

8/24/2014

"Lion on the Loose"
Vicki Dorshorn

8/16/2014

Lessons from My Garden - Part 6
Vicki Dorshorn

8/10/2014

Lessons from My Garden - Part 5
Vicki Dorshorn

8/3/2014

Lessons from My Garden - Part 4
Vicki Dorshorn

7/27/2014

Lessons from My Garden - Part 3
Vicki Dorshorn

7/20/2014

"Lessons from My Garden -- Part 2"
Vicki Dorshorn

7/12/2014

Lessons From My Garden - Part 1
Vicki Dorshorn

7/7/2014

Dreams, Revisions, and Renewal
Vicki Dorshorn

6/29/2014

A Dream that is Reality
Vicki Dorshorn

6/21/2014

The Return of the Swallows
Vicki Dorshorn

6/14/2014

Part 2 - Where will I go when I die?
Vicki Dorshorn

6/7/2014

Where will I go when I die?
Vicki Dorshorn

5/31/2014

Truth or Deception
Vicki Dorshorn

5/24/2014

Deliverance from Falling
Vicki Dorshorn

5/16/2014

Deliverance from Tears
Vicki Dorshorn

5/10/2014

Deliverance from Death
Vicki Dorshorn

5/3/2014

The Significance of Death
Vicki Dorshorn

4/27/2014

Conclusion of Why Bad Things Happen
Vicki Dorshorn

4/19/2014

Good and Bad, Relatively Speaking
Vicki Dorshorn

4/12/2014

The Potter and the Clay
Vicki Dorshorn

4/5/2014

"Bad Things" - Part 5
Vicki Dorshorn

3/29/2014

"Bad Things" - Part 4
Vicki Dorshorn

3/21/2014

"Bad Things" - Part 3
Vicki Dorshorn

3/15/2014

"Bad Things" - Part 2
Vicki Dorshorn

3/8/2014

"Bad Things" - Part I
Vicki Dorshorn

3/1/2014

Who are "good" people?
Vicki Dorshorn

2/26/2014

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Vicki Dorshorn

2/22/2014