Everything is Coming Up Roses

I live in Pasadena, California. Most holidays in Pasadena are fairly typical. There are eggs on Easter and fireworks on Independence Day. People in Pasadena carve pumpkins on Halloween, and get together to eat turkey on Thanksgiving.  They put up trees and give gifts on Christmas.  One holiday, though, is Pasadena’s holiday.

Pasadena may be the best place in the world to celebrate New Year’s Day.

New Year’s may be my favorite holiday. I love the feeling of a fresh, new year. It is the feeling of unwrapping a package, or the scent of opening a book for the first time. The possibilites are limitless.

New Year’s 2012 is one of those holidays that is even better than usual. Because January 1 is on a Sunday, the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl game will be on January 2. It is almost like a bonus holiday,  right at the beginning of the year!

The reason is one of those stories that make Pasadena what it is. When the organizers began putting the Tournament of Roses together, they needed to deal with potential opposition from an influential part of the community. Churches in Pasadena were concerned that all the noise from the marching bands would upset the horses tied up outside churches on Sunday morning.

The people organizing the parade decided that they could overcome the objections by agreeing not to hold a parade on a Sunday. Whenever New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, the parade and the football game are delayed. No one wants to rile the horses.

I hope you have a very Happy New Year’s Day, and that 2012 is filled with lessons, insights, and benefits for you. Enjoy the parade, and look for me in the crowd at the game.

[Image by donielle]