Sylvester. That's what they call New Year's Eve here in Israel. I haven't the faintest idea why, and I'm not sure anyone else does either. I guess "New Year's Eve" was already taken by the Jewish New Year's Eve (Erev Rosh Hashanah) and something other than the distant runner up "the secular New Year's Eve" - blech - needed to be chosen. So Sylvester it is.
Just because they gave it a name though doesn't mean that they made it a holiday. New Year's Day is just another work day here, and having to get up early for school and work the following morning takes more than a bit of the fun out of celebrating. I mean really, who wants to go out carousing until 2am, only to have to be up at 7 to get the kids out on time? We've occasionally marked the evening with a low-key gathering of friends, but just as often we've stayed home and done nothing. In truth, I don't miss going out on New Year's Eve itself all that much. I'm getting a bit too old for all the carousing and raucous parties, and too concerned about drunk drivers (admittedly less of a concern in a country where few drink to excess and even fewer celebrate but still, it only takes one...), not to mention too aware of the utter impossibility of getting a babysitter on New Year's Eve.
What I do miss though is the sleeping in the next morning, then spending the day lounging around the house watching parades (or football, depending on your personal proclivities - I'm a parade girl myself). There's nothing like that relaxed morning after kind of day. The Rose Parade (oh how I'd love to see that someday), the Orange Parade (I actually did see that one in person once), all those wonderful floats... I haven't seen a New Year's parade in nearly 20 years. (My god, when did I get old enough to say something like that???).
I love living here, and I really love the fact that even at the end of December I'm likely to be outside on a sunny afternoon in nothing but a sweatshirt, but still, couldn't we have a proper New Year's too? I've had enough of Sylvester non-occasions. I want a parade.
So there.
18 comments:
Well there you go. I didn't know that. Sylvester is a rather unusual name for it though.
But I like it!
I am sitting at home cradling Boo, the laptop and a wine with 1 hour 18 mins left of 2007 while MPS is out working (DJ, so oggling young girls in next to nothing on this stinking hot night more like it) so I would prefer to call it Sylvester too!
Do you do resolutions though? I didn't do any. But I did some for the kids! Bwaaaaa haaaaa haaaaaa
Well I'd never heard that name before. Personally I hate NYE, find it deeply depressing, all that shrugging off of what has happened, good and bad, and my year has been worst than most but I still don't want to step over into the new one, it's a little scary.
I want some parade too! Jan. 1 is holiday here but on the next day, everything is back to normal.
Still, happy new year Robin!
What a strange name for New Years. I am not a fan of the holiday really. I do like reflecting on the previous year and making plans for the new one but the big celebration is lost on me. i can't ever even stay awake until midnight!
Sylvester is a rather interesting name for New Year's. Maybe we'll tell each other "Happy Sylvester"---I have always disliked New Year's Eve (I think of it as 'forced fun'), but, this year, staying home with a sick kid sounds even less fun than normal. I'm hoping 2008 starts with us all being healthy again!
Sylvester is the saint's name for today. Here in France it is also called Sylvester - and is listed as that on all the calendars that have the saints on it (for example, September 4th's saint is Rosalie!)
Happy New Year!
Sylvester. Well, that could be the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question for sure . . .
We've never been big on celebrating the new year. Hannah is off to a friend's house for the night, so we're gonna stuff ourselves on Chinese food and fall asleep on the couch. Hurrah!
I've seen the Rose Parade in person twice, but somehow managed to not see it at all. After a spending the nights awake with thousands of people I was too catatonic to enjoy the parade. I was also a teenager more interested in the party than the floats. How I wish I paid more attention! I Love watching parades now, too!
Happy New Year to you, by whichever name you choose to call it!
It's the saint's name? How funny for a Jewish country... Thanks Mel.
Not exactly a rockin' new year's eve here - I was sound asleep on the couch by 11!
O-kay...odd name...
Tom was at the Rose Parade two years ago and it downpoured on him the entire time. A lifelong dream...rained out. LOL! I'm not a big parade person; if I'm not in it, I don't want to be on the sidelines. Watching a parade on tv, I'm all for it. I can be warm and comfy. But I have zero desire to camp out on a curb waiting for a parade. I'm such a wuss. ; )
Happy New Year, Robin.
What I learn here... never heard of Sylvester and I'm saying whyyyy, and now I know! But in Israel??? I think you should have a parade!
Hey, thanks for stopping by my Christine's Photography Secrets post...I hope it was helpful and that further posts are as well!
Your blog is fascinating...I'm in the process of updating my blogroll and I'm adding yours. Looking forward to reading more here.
Thank you Christine, I'm really glad to hear you're enjoying it. I bookmarked your blog yesterday too so I could come back and read more when I had some time.
I see you have already been informed that Sylvester is the name of the saint celebrated on Jan. 1st. I think that it started to be called that here (in Israel)with the Russian immigration because they celebrated it as Sylvester. It's funny to me that Israelis think that it is a religious holiday... growing up in the States it was never a religious holiday. Maybe it is in Russia and Europe.
Oh yah, it probably doesn't have a parade for that very same reason... Israelis think that it is a Christian holiday.
Sylvester come from the Feast Day of St. Sylvester, a former pope and Catholic saint! That's what they call New Year's in Germany and all I can think of is that maybe a lot of German immigrants to Israel brought this tradition with them! But it a catholic holiday, so that's really funny that they use that in your country!
BTW, Happy New Year!! (Better late than never!)
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