Griffin Speaks

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2005

Celebrating the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. The Babylonians celebrated the New Year about 4000 years ago. However, Western nations have only been celebrating New Years for about the past 400 years. In my household we will make our resolutions and eat our good luck foods. 

Perhaps the most popular resolution is the resolution to lose weight. My 25^th college reunion is coming up  May 2005. I hope to return to Morehouse College at my Freshman Year weight. On my 20^th reunion I accomplished that goal. How did I do it? I stopped eating at the Buffets and I increased my walking. 

I plan to go to Calhoun’s Super Food and purchase some black eye peas, hog jowls, sweet potatoes and you guessed it “Chitterlings!” We usually watch the New Year arrive from the comfort of our home. At the strike of twelve we will begin to sing the old Scotch tune “AULD LANG SYNE” which literally means “old long ago” or simply “the good old days”. That song is sung at the stroke of twelve in nearly every English speaking country in the world. Robert Burns wrote the song in the 1700’s and it was first published in 1796 after his death.  

From our home to yours we wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.!

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com