Shh, New Year’s coming…

What’s the best part of holidays? Anticipation! Prep-time, when you’re decorating the house, searching for new recipes, choosing a dress… There’s nothing better than looking forward to something and dreaming of it. And what does it matter if it goes wrong! It often does. Wise people say it never goes the way you had pictured, and you’d better stop imagining things. But it is so delightful!

Half of the world is celebrating Christmas, while a good part of it is only preparing for it. Yet, no matter if it already filled your house or not, no matter how you call it: Noël, Nativity, Christmas or Yule, this is a great holiday with a festive generosity of spirit. Just think: even Scrooge – a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner – was radically transformed by this holiday.

 ‘A merry Christmas, Bob,' said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. `A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year. I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob. Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit.' Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.   

Let your own hearts laugh, my friends! Now, when the whole planet is in expectation of the New Year, let us step into 2014 with benign intentions. Remember, Bridget Jones’ New Year resolutions? I WILL NOT spend more than earn, I WILL NOT get upset over men… I WILL learn to programme video, I WILL form functional relationship with responsible adult… Bridget had more than 12 resolutions. Not that she kept all of them – only one, actually, which was v.g., in her year summary. Yet I love the idea of 12 New Year resolutions. Shall we try and follow Bridget’s example?

I wish you magic dreams and a prosperous year, full of amazing discoveries. Happy New Year to all my friends and readers! Many thanks for coming and sharing your ideas. Tons of fun and loads of interesting books!

Here's a gift for those who love haiku. I adore all of them and the last one is my favourite:

Новый год наступил –

Беззаботные лица прохожих

Вокруг мелькают…

(Сигёку)

За праздничный стол

По-свойски уселась кошка –

Старый год проводить…

(Исса)

Новый год на дворе –

вот она, долгожданная радость!

Голубое небо…

(Исса)

Вот лягу я спать,

А наутро проснусь и увижу –

Новый год на дворе!

(Бусон)

Луна или утренний снег…
Любуясь прекрасным, я жил, как хотел,
Вот так и кончаю год.
(Басе)

PS. All the pictures are made by the author of the blog and her family in Prague, Antwerpen, Brussels, Tallinn, Ghent, Brugges, Riga. With the exception of a lovely book tree, which was shared by one of my ex-students. Thanks a lot, Anya!