TOTAL READ TIME: 2 Minutes

Read to learn why today is not the only new year date. © Kathy J. Sotak

Today I’m feeling a clean slate and I’ll bet you are too.  I’m hanging my 2026 calendar with ideas percolating with travel adventures, new hobbies and physical resolutions.

But it’s not really a new year today. Biologically, it’s the dead of winter/summer depending on your hemisphere. Cosmically, the planetary cycles are mid-rhythm with no clear new year indicator today. The only reason I’m feeling into this new cycle is because of the flip of our Roman-born Gregorian calendar and our collective hive mind. 

Have you thought much about other new year traditions, celebrated in other ways and other times of the year? Here are a few notable examples:

  • Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, celebrated in September/October, and aligned to moon cycle
  • Chinese New Year, begins in January/February, and aligned to moon cycle
  • Astrological New Year, begins on spring equinox, when Sun enters 0° Aries
  • Celtic/Pagan New Year, celebrated on Samhain (Halloween), the midpoint between the autumn equinox and winter solstice
  • Countless others to research on your own if curiosities are piqued, such as Islamic, Persian, Hindu and Buddhist

These cycles are aligned to the natural rhythms of the earth and sky, while our Roman-designed Gregorian calendar is mainly aligned for political reasons.

But I’m not going to throw away January 1st. I’m simply honoring several of these new beginnings. Why? To remind me that new cycles begin all the time. Earth, every plant, every animal and even our bodies are cyclical. The easiest to recognize is the 28-day lunar cycle. Even many major movies depict this, why have we forgotten?

I’m still wishing you a Happy New Year, on this linear, Roman-inspired day. Despite my counter-argument, I still feel the electricity of the air as we celebrate to mark the beginning of 2026.

Here’s my invitation to you: pick one additional new cycle this year to honor. Don’t know where to begin? Here’s two to pick from: The full Wolf Moon is on Saturday, January 3, and the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse is on February 17.  Set a new intention, say goodbye to something from the last cycle, or even throw a party. The possibilities are endless!

Cheers to many more healthy, joyful and abundant cosmically-aligned new cycles, to you and yours!

Footnote: Curious about more new year’s reframes? Enjoy my prior musings here and here.