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Welcome to 22 Revisions - a blog documenting what I do at work and in life... I’m Sacha and I’ve been in the advertising business for 22 years. In the summer of 2008, I moved my family from Cambridge to a little city north of Toronto called Peterborough to work at an advertising agency called BrandHealth. It has been challenging and unpredictable but the most important revision I have ever made. I am definitely not the most dedicated blogger, nor the most interesting person that has blogged but I hope my sporadic blogs provide some insights into this amazing city, company, industry and people I work with...

Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve Traditions

While everyone celebrates New Year's Eve in their own way, there seems to be a common theme. It's a time for setting things straight. Some people show this by doing a thorough housecleaning, returning borrowed objects, deleting Facebook friends, setting resolutions or patching up quarrels. In many cultures, people jump into the sea or a local body of water – literally washing away the past and starting a clean slate. 
I've been told, in some towns in Italy, you have to watch out for falling objects, as people shove their old sofas, chairs and even refrigerators out of their windows on New Year's Eve (Note: add that to my bucket list) In Ecuador, people make dummies, stuffed with straw, to represent the events of the past year. These effigies are burned at midnight and symbolizes getting rid of the past. Although this tradition isn't reserved just for New Year's, I know women who have done this for ex-boyfriends throughout the year. (I highly recommend it!)
But, everything you do on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day is performed with some thought for the future. The popular custom of spending the night with the one you love and kissing them at midnight, is done to insure that the relationship will flourish the next year. (I bet you didn't know that.)
I like to make up a different tradition every year. Tonight, I'm preparing a midnight supper of steak, red wine and a dozen cupcakes! And, one tradition I do like to keep is starting the year off by doing something creative and fun. Tomorrow the consensus is we're each going to paint a picture. Last year the theme was "self-portrait" and that was a disaster, so I'm really looking forward to painting over it this year. 
I was also googling some rituals for good fortune and learned that the color of underwear Brazilians wear on the first day of the new year has meaning. Pink brings love, yellow, prosperity; and white, peace and happiness... hmm, I wonder what polka dots bring?
How ever you choose to bring in the New Year, I hope it brings you much joy! Happy New Year!! 

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