the first day

In Brazil, where I was born,  we have several New Year traditions that are followed by pretty much everyone in the country. On New Year's Eve we all dress in white for good luck, peace, purity, a clean slate and the possibility to start anew.  Then, just before midnight, we all gather somewhere along the four thousand miles of the Atlantic coastline, jump seven waves, throw flowers into the sea, light candles, make wishes and say prayers. This custom comes from the mix of African and Indian cultures developed in Brazil.  The belief is that Yemanja, the queen of the ocean and the feminine principle of creation, will bring us good luck and make all our wishes come true.

While that is my favorite way to close one year and start another, I was happy to enter 2010 by jumping seven waves and walking along Ocean beach in San Francisco with my husband. The scenery was misty, hazy and somewhat mysterious. The fluffy foam on the sand looked like heavenly clouds, reminding me once again that right here, in the first day of a year's journey, where the earth meets the sky, anything is possible.

I'm curious to know... Do you and your family have any New Year traditions? And are you in for the 365 project? What did your first day of the year look like?

Comments

[Alicia]

what a cool tradition... i like the wearing of white and what it stands for starting the new year. we don't really have any traditions, but our goal is always to spend it with dear friends and of course, toast champagne at the stroke of midnight! it would be fun to create some specific traditions though...

our first day of the new year was spent at home... i spent quite a while revamping my photo a day website to get it ready for this year's 365 project.... http://brklynphoto.blogspot.com/

[lucy]

we've lived on cape cod for 6 years and never witnessed the new year's day plunge, so we went and saw and were glad that we wore gloves:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucyloomis/sets/72157623117637302/show/

[Katrina Kennedy]

Love the Brazilian tradition!

We started our year with a photo walk with friends and many cameras! I'm hoping to make it a tradition. I am also starting year two of 365. So I guess I can call it 730. :)

http://ianck.blogspot.com/2010/01/starting-year-with-photo-walk.html

[Aia]

happy new year! i decided to tackle a project for 2010; finding the good in the little things. because 2009 was such a rough year, i am trying to have a more positive outlook for the new year. this project allows me to get creative, stop & look around & there's no pressure to take a certain number of pictures. here is the link to my project: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40446906@N04/sets/72157622971315501/

[Jennifer]

That is a lovely tradition indeed. My first day was spent in calm at home, tending to the cats, going for walks. I am trying the 365 project for the first time this year. I'll post some of the photos at my blog but probably not all. Am not so sure if I'll manage to post them all.

http://jennifer-renner.blogspot.com/

[Tracey of These Nine Acres]

We always (well, for the last 5 years) go to my neighbor's house who has a huge New Year's Day motorcycle race. It is always cold and muddy, but fun and full of warm people and a warm bonfire. And yes, I started day 1 of my 365 project. My theme this year is monochrome. It is scary to only post monochrome for the whole year, but I am determined. I joined the flickr group and can't wait to get to know everyone.

Hugs,
Tracey

[Beryl]

No new year's traditions to speak of, BUT I am in for the long haul of the 365 (and my hubby is even joining me!) I am excited to pair our two perspectives each day this year. Hop on over to my blog to see our first day.

http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=570

[bright and blithe]

I was blessed to greet the year in a quiet, reflective sort of way, marveling at the truth that inspiration truly is everywhere.

http://brightandblithe.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/candy-turns-to-cotton/

[kristin]

here in cold frozen waters of the northern atlantic, people in my town also jump in the water at noon. they call it the lobster dip. probably because their skin is red as a lobster when they emerge from that cold sea. yesterday i went to watch. it was snowing. that seemed somehow even more perfect.
here is a young woman emerging with a smile only true happiness can bring.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/4235760180/

i truly only went to observe but soon i am infected with this wonderful energy so much so that this (the lobster dip) is now on my to do list for next new year. i am excited.

here is a slideshow of the whole event.
http://www.picnik.com/show/id/6601103261_G98M2/t/picnik-show

happy new year! xo

[Dr Lindy]

I thought, when I first looked at it, that it was taken from an airplane. This is wonderful. The San Francisco seafoam looks like the white stuff sitting on my maple tree.... Beautiful.... thank you.

[Elizabeth Harper]

Since we're flying high in this mornings photograph, I thought I would include a picture of a woman dressed for travel.

http://giftsofthejourney.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/just-a-time-traveler-trying-to-find-my-way-home/

[Kelly]

I pulled out the camera yesterday, captured my baby on the first day of his first new year. Didn't get much else done, but I think it was worth it... Sharing a few - I'm so in love, and very glad to be back on camera! :-P
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/4235114500/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/4235114360/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/4235114890/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/4235115006/

[Ana F.]

I'm from Rio. You make me miss all the New Years spent at Copacabana beach watching the fireworks with my family... It's really something.

[Grey Street Girl]

What a beautiful tradition! It sounds like the right way to start the year!

I'm in the middle of my 365: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greystgirl/sets/72157622837980726/
And, I finished up my first one in August: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greystgirl/sets/72157606858508892/

I can't wait to see everyone's projects and follow the wonderful progress!

[samantha jo]

My mother-in-law makes Hoppin' John (black eyes peas) every New Year's Day for good luck. At dinner we also talked about what our word is for the year, a new tradition for us. My four year old even joined in, choosing READ.

I started my first 365 project yesterday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48975751@N00/sets/72157622993583159/

I read about a study done with ceramic students. One group was told that their grade would be based on one piece for the year. Those students studied and planned to make one great piece. The other group was told their grade would be based on the number of pieces they made over the year. So, of course, they made as many pieces as they could. At the end of the year the best ceramic pieces were made by the group who made as many as they could. They tried new things, experimented, practiced, improved, and discovered happy accidents. Art is best learned by doing, so here is to DOING with the 365 project!

[Kellee]

Awesome traditions! I really thought those was a chunk of ice washing up. :)

[Kimberly]

I am in! Here's day 1:

http://yeptheyareallmine.blogspot.com/2010/01/1365.html

Looking forward to a great year :-)

[Darlene]

What a beautiful tradition. I love the pureness that each of the details represent. Such a calm way to begin a new year. Thank you for sharing.

I usually take down the Christmas tree and decorations, but this year I have been loving the tree in my house. The white lights are so soothing. What I did yesterday instead was prepare our home for the big snow storm that has been teasing us for the past 2 days. It's beginning to intensify so we'll see. I'm still editing some pictures I took at the end of November. I'm going to begin the 365 project on the 5th :)

[cigi]

What lovely traditions. I really do love this time of year! I'm looking forward to following the projects and progress of others in 2010. As for me, I've decided on a daily photoblog: http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com. Not quite as much pressure as the 365 project (maybe next year!) but the structure will undoubtedly keep me motivated while still allowing me to occasionally post favorites from my archives. Best wishes to everyone in the new year!

[Patty Reiser]

My first day of 2010 started with me shooting my Canon while the rest of the family were shooting Nerf Darts.
http://pkphotography.us/2010/01/project-365-day-2/

[Reyna]

Happy 2010! It sounds like you have some wonderful traditions! So much fun!

I am doing the project! I am excited to be a part of it! However, I have not actually posted my pictures yet, but am planning to put them on Flickr.

[Kiesha]

I love this project! This will help me to become a better photographer, and take me outside my comfort zone.

ttp://365bondphotos.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-2.html

[Kate]

One of our New Year's traditions is opening our guilded walnuts, which we made and hung on the tree before Christmas. This year each held a fortune and a coin.
http://mamayou.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/you-will-learn-something-amazing/

[Leslie]

Wishes to everyone for a New Year full of good health, love and lots of beautiful photos.

This year I enjoyed an Italian tradition of eating lentils at midnight with wonderful Italian friends. My first day of the year was spent traveling home and posting more pictures to my blog.

I hope it is a sign I will continue to travel and share lots of photos on my blog this year www.thel-list.com.

After reading the comments about the 365 project, I'm feeling ready to jump in and can't wait to get started.

Happy 2010!

[elk]

we enjoy mimosas...and i take photos of the empty bottle...what else!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammymom/4238743177

[hardwood furniture]

Happy New Year! We have a tradition of throwing coins to the air and jump in welcoming the New Year! We also make loud noises for the bad spirits from the past year will go away.

[June]

Coming from a Filipino family, there have been some pretty strange traditions passed down through my parents. I wear polka dots and stuff my pockets with lots and lots of cold hard cash. The polka dots signify coins and money and plenty. The cash is for prosperity in the coming year. To ensure a fruitful year, my mom makes sure we have ten different types of fruit in the house when the new year rolls by, which I dutifully did this year as well. We also light firecrackers and make loud noises to scare away bad spirits. I actually had fun following these little silly traditions, but whatever helps right?
Hope your new year wishes come true.

[alexdesouza]

Thanks for sharing your traditions as well as your photos of day1, sisters! It's really lovely to get a glimpse of your life and to know so many of you are in for the 365 project! Wishing you all a fantastic 2010! xo

[Puna]

My first day was really busy and very unplanned. It was the best thing about it!

http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2010/01/new-years-20092010-recap/

Happy New Year!

[Julie Alvarez]

This year I will CREATE lots of things, I know it.
A new home for my family in a new place, a new connection with nature and life.
Lots of healthy food.
Maybe a homegrown garden.
Sew and knit and photograph.
Hoping to write at least my first decent song.
My fisrt day had nothing like creation in it, at least not in the common way we do it. We just went along, eating and being lazy with family and friends in our warm home.
But it felt like we were creating, though... Love, friendship, still time, and dreams.
Here are bits of it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4237368502/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4237369018/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4236593039/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4237380202/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4236613581/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4237400436/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4240945002/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/4240945622/

[Sarah Ann]

I need to be in Brazil for the 2011 New Year! You tradition sounds amazingly photo worthy, Alex.

On the first day of the new year, I found beauty in something broken:

http://vieboheme.typepad.com/vie-boheme/2010/01/01-365.html

[marnie]

i love these traditions and how they incorporate family and traditions that can be passed down.

i always take first day of the new year to write down what I accomplished and learned the year before. it's more about applauding my growth instead of nitpicking on what i haven't done yet. then i make a list of things i'd like to do and/or focus on. Nothing is absolute so there are no resolutions but attainable goals. then i look at the year in review - the world that is. Then get outside and enjoy some California light.

[Emily Perry]

What a wonderful tradition! such a great story! i am totally in for the 365 project! thanks for sharing!