Is It Really the New Year?

This time of year is so fascinating to me. We run around, busy and distracted, oftentimes moving from a place of “should” with all the cultural conditioning of buying gifts, going to parties, cooking large meals and, “being merry”. Then we arrive to January 1st, the “New Year”. New goals. New bodies. New identities. New momentum. And yet…the Earth is asleep. 

We are Earthly beings. We aren’t separate from the cycles of life on this planet. That includes the seasons and the story of the sun. I find it incredibly odd that there’s a collective pressure to bloom, initiate, and optimize during the dark nights of December and January. When living in an attuned way with our Mama Gaia and our earthly bodies, the lived experience is actually a lower level of energy and a natural pull inwards. Yet, everything in our culture pulls us away from precious solitude and stillness. We are in the deep gestational phase of the year. We are meant to REST, gather information, and nurture ourselves and our dream seeds. It’s like an incubation. We are in the beautiful womb of creation. What if we were to normalize low motivation, needing more sleep and rest, and reflection rather than action? 

So why does the new year begin on January first?

The answer has more to do with history and politics than nature. January is named after Janus, a Roman god associated with doorways and transitions. He was often depicted with two faces, one looking backward and one looking forward. Over time, the Roman calendar was reorganized, and January first was established as the start of the civil year. This date worked well for governmental purposes and eventually became standardized through Roman influence, Christian calendars, and later global systems of trade and economics. In other words, January first is a social and administrative beginning, not a seasonal one.

If we look at astrology, the new year begins at a very different time. The astrological new year starts when the sun enters Aries around March twentieth, at the spring equinox. Day and night are equal. Light is returning. Plants begin to grow again. Seeds push through the soil. This is a natural time for initiation, action, and new momentum. From my perspective, January is not the beginning of the story. It is still part of the quiet middle.

In pagan traditions, and for us witches, the new year begins at Samhain, which falls around October 31st to November 1st. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Rather than celebrating growth or expansion, this new year honors endings, death, and the thinning of the veil between the living and the ancestral realms. It is a time for remembrance, grieving what has passed, and consciously releasing what no longer belongs in the next cycle. Starting the new year at Samhain reflects an understanding that true renewal begins with letting go, making space, and entering the quiet before anything new can take shape.

Many cultures honor different new year markers that are more aligned with natural cycles. The Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar and falls sometime between late January and mid February. Rather than demanding immediate action, it emphasizes closing out the old year, honoring ancestors, and aligning with the energetic quality of the year ahead. It recognizes that timing matters.

In Jewish tradition, the new year is called Rosh Hashanah, which usually falls in September or October and aligns with the agricultural cycle of the land. It occurs in early autumn, around the time of harvest, and is less about starting something new and more about reflection, accountability, and realignment. The Persian New Year, Nowruz, begins at the spring equinox when light and growth visibly return to the land. In Thailand, Songkran is celebrated in mid April and centers on water rituals that symbolize cleansing and renewal as the seasonal rains approach.

When we insist that January first must be the moment of transformation, we often end up working against ourselves. Intentions set too early can feel forced or disconnected. Energy may be low. Motivation may not yet be available. This does not mean there is something wrong with us. It means we are still in winter.

January may be better understood as a threshold month. A time to reflect, to let go, to listen, and to notice what is slowly forming beneath the surface. Instead of asking what we need to achieve, it can be more helpful to ask what wants to be nurtured quietly.

So perhaps this year, your Gregorian calendar “New Year” resolution can be simply to sit in quiet contemplation and stillness, honor the need to rest, and take space to dream what your action will be come late February/early March.