Happy New Year - And Many More This Year !

As the hours tick by to the start of 2012, I want to wish you and yours the very best for 2012.

If you like one New Years Day, how about a few over the next 366 days?

With our western Gregorian calendar, we will be enjoying a leap year.  That one extra February 29 when all of those leap year babies get to celebrate a traditional birthday and when the slight errors in our 365 day calendar can be caught up with.

The Chinese New Year 4709, will begin on January 23.  This is the year of the water dragon, which sounds like a very good year.  The last year of the water dragon was for those flower children born between January 27, 1952 and February 13, 1953.

At sunset on September 16, the Hebrew calendar celebrates Rosh Hashanah, or New Year's Day 5773.

The Hijri or Islamic calendar will celebrate New Year's Day 1434 beginning at sunset November 14.

The Mayan calendar will be THE topic this year.  On December 21, the 5125 year great cycle will begin anew.  I have embedded an YouTube clip that is pretty interesting about the Mayan circular calendar.

December 21, winter solstice, is the Mayan New Year's Day this year, and a date wherein both the Maya lunar and solar calendars have coinciding New Year Days.  That only happens every 52 years, and so last occurred in 1960.

With each New Year we have renewed potential, renewed optimism, and a renewed chance to improve not only ourselves, but the world in which we live.

The very best to you and your family in 2012, 4709, 5773, 1434, and as we observe the end of 5125 and usher in the beginning of 1.