One More Day

No, this has nothing to do with the recent Spider-Man storyline, it's just the number of days left in 2007. We made it back to Chicago without any further weather problems. It was clear until we made it into Chicago. The snow started and is continuing, but we're inside now, so it doesn't much matter.

As we were making our way back, though, I did get to wondering why exactly we've placed the beginning of the year in the middle of winter. It makes no sense. We could've started on the spring equinox, which would've been a real time of rebirth. We could've done it on the winter solstice, which would at least be when the days stop getting shorter and start getting longer again. But instead, we go for about a week and a half after the solstice. I don't have a lot of time to search around (there's partying to do, after all), but Wikipedia isn't particularly helpful. It tells us that the ancient Romans started their new year in January, but it makes no explanation as to why. Apparently January fell out of favor for a time, and Britain and its colonies didn't establish January as the beginning of the year until 1752. That's just over 250 years of a January new year. It all seems so arbitrary. Maybe I'll have a chance to find out a better reason later. In the meantime, I hope everybody out there has a great 2008.