The author has long advocated for shifting the New Year’s celebration to August, arguing that this is the true beginning of the year for most people. This aligns with the natural cycle of returning from summer holidays, resuming work or studies, and contemplating new beginnings. The author dismisses the term ”tjejnyår” (girl’s new year), referring to the August-September transition, as both limiting and discriminatory. He emphasizes that numerous cultures celebrate their new year at different times throughout the year, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the current January 1st date. The author questions the logic of celebrating new beginnings during the coldest and darkest part of the year, especially when a significant portion of the population experiences a genuine fresh start in August.
The proposal to move the New Year’s celebration is not merely a whimsical notion, but rather a practical observation of societal rhythms. For millions of students, from elementary school to university, August marks the commencement of a new academic year. Similarly, for the vast majority of working individuals, the end of summer vacation in August signifies the start of a new working year, often accompanied by reflections on career paths, salary negotiations, or even radical career changes. This cyclical pattern of concluding the old and embarking on the new aligns naturally with the August timeframe. The author suggests that the New Year’s festivities could be combined with the traditional crayfish premiere in early August, favoring the local delicacy over the more bourgeois and expensive lobster traditionally associated with the December New Year celebrations. He even proposes a specific date, either August 19th or 20th, for the new New Year’s Eve.
Further bolstering the argument for an August New Year, the author challenges the romanticized notion of a successful New Year’s Eve in winter. He contends that the anticipation of midnight is often a drawn-out, anticlimactic experience, with many celebrations losing their momentum long before the clock strikes twelve. The author recounts his own experiences in Gothenburg during the 1980s, where he and his friends often prioritized the revelry on New Year’s Eve-Eve, leaving the actual New Year’s Eve for recovering from the previous night’s festivities. He recalls numerous disappointing New Year’s Eves, contrasting them with the more enjoyable, albeit slightly subdued, atmosphere of New Year’s Day. The author fondly remembers the tradition he and his former wife established of ordering red curry duck and watching Woody Allen’s ”Play It Again, Sam” on New Year’s Day, a simple pleasure that epitomizes the relaxed atmosphere of a fresh start.
The author’s critique of the traditional New Year’s celebration extends to the seemingly obligatory fireworks, the origins of which he professes ignorance. He prefers the German term ”silvesterfeuerwerk,” finding it more appealing, highlighting the cultural nuances associated with these traditions. He juxtaposes the modern New Year’s Eve celebrations with a nostalgic remembrance of a bygone era, when the highlight of the New Year’s holiday was the live broadcast of ski jumping from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, narrated by the legendary Sven ”Plex” Petersson. The author credits ”Plex” with making the event truly special and laments the absence of his iconic commentary, suggesting that the loss of this tradition alone justifies relocating the New Year’s holiday. He even proposes a ”Plex Day” to commemorate the legendary commentator.
The author’s personal experiences paint a picture of disillusionment with the conventional New Year’s Eve. He questions the genuine joy derived from these celebrations, suggesting that many who claim to have enjoyed a ”quiet New Year’s celebration with a few close friends” are simply admitting to having given up on the festivities altogether. He recalls the collective hangovers and subdued gatherings that followed the often-disappointing anticipation of midnight, with pizza, bearnaise sauce, and a few beers serving as the backdrop for a less-than-spectacular start to the new year. This contrasts sharply with the author’s preferred New Year’s Day experience, marked by a calmer atmosphere, a shared meal, and a classic film, offering a more genuine sense of renewal.
In essence, the author’s argument rests on the premise that aligning the New Year’s celebration with the natural rhythms of life, as experienced by a large segment of the population, would make for a more meaningful and authentic celebration. The proposed shift to August would not only acknowledge the true beginnings experienced by students and workers but also offer a respite from the forced revelry and often-disappointing realities of a mid-winter celebration. The author uses personal anecdotes and cultural references to underscore his point, suggesting that a move to August would allow for a more genuine, less pressured, and ultimately more enjoyable start to the new year. He advocates for a New Year’s celebration that embraces the spirit of renewal rather than adhering to a date that, for many, symbolizes little more than a forced and often underwhelming tradition.
