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Why “Happy New Year” Has a Hidden Meaning Different from What You Think
Celebrating tradition with a mouth full of meaning
From the southern roots of my grandmother blossomed a variety of cropped superstitions to keep the kids in line — some would make us laugh, and tilt our youthful heads, and others became self-explanatory later in life.
The woman had a saying for everything, bless her heart. My cousins and I still recite a few of her quips, appreciating the wisdom withstanding the test of time.
At the beginning of each new year, her melodious lilt echoes through the chambers of my mind; what you do on New Year’s Day, you’ll be doing the rest of the year.
This year, in one way, I hope not, in another — I’m hopeful.
If nothing else, it’s a call to be mindful of our thoughts, purpose, and actions when blessed with a new year. Our ancestors had no choice; they were told what to think, what to do, where to go, and their sole purpose — to build the economic foundation of America through free labor.
Behind the saying lurks a dark history.
New Year’s Day in the 1800s was the most dreaded day of the year for slaves because slave owners might split them up. Dole them out to new owners. There was nothing celebratory…