Quote for the New Year ~ Happy 2026
Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering “it will be happier.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson
SOME INTERESTING TIDBITS THAT HAPPENED ON NEW YEAR’S DAY:
The Julian calendar is first used. (45 B.C.)
The first Rose Bowl Parade was held. The first Rose Bowl football game was played in 1902, to help pay for the cost of the parade. (1890)
Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere was born on this day in 1735.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac hits the newsstands and bookstores for the first time. (1818)
Emma M. Nutt becomes the first woman telephone operator. (1878)
New York City’s New Year celebration introduces the “Ball Drop.” It begins to fall in the last 10 seconds of 1907 and lands in 1908. (1907/1908)
ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
This holiday is observed on the third Monday in January
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday. Also called MLK Day, it honors the greatest civil rights activist in American history. His birthday became a National Holiday by an act of Congress in 1983. Many consider it a day to serve your community.
Born on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. grew to become one of the greatest social activists the world has ever known. He promoted a non-violent civil rights movement. At 35, he became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace prize. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while making a speech from the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee.
The U.S. Congress made Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday. It was first observed on Monday, January 20, 1986.
HOW TO CELEBRATE MLK DAY
• Learn more about this great man.
• Become active in promoting civil rights.
• Find a positive way to serve your community.
• Hold a parade.
• Have a community celebration.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. TRIVIA
• His legal birth name at birth was Michael King.
• After a trip to Germany, his father changed his and his son’s name to Martin Luther King in honor of the German reformer Martin Luther.
• His father was an activist against segregation.
• His “I Have a Dream” speech was one of the most powerful and famous speeches in American history.
• He sang with his church choir at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
ALL ABOUT NATIONAL HUGGING DAY
THIS HOLIDAY IS ALWAYS CELEBRATED ON JANUARY 21
National Hugging Day is January 21. What a great day it’s going to be! It’s an opportunity to give and to receive. Give a big bear hug, and you automatically receive one in return. Sure, someone might not hug back. But how often does that happen!?!
Hugs are loving. They are therapeutic. Hugs are caring. They are celebratory, too. And they make you feel good inside. It is a way to say everything is or will be okay. Have you ever received one from someone who didn’t care? I didn’t think so. That’s proof positive that you’re loved and cared about.
Celebrate National Hugging Day by giving the “big squeeze” to family, friends, and loved ones. You’ll love the warm feeling you get.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL HUGGING DAY
National Hugging Day is a day that we can all embrace. So, show a little affection to everyone you meet today. Here are some ways you can celebrate and enjoy this huggable holiday:
• Greet everyone you meet with a big smile. Immediately follow that up with a big, friendly squeeze.
• Kids don’t forget to put a big hug on your teddy bear and all your other stuffed animals.
• Put the big squeeze on your pets, too.
Please Use Caution: It might not be wise to go up to strangers and give them a big, affectionate squeeze.
“There’s a long life ahead of you and it’s going to be beautiful, as long as you keep loving and hugging each other.” – Yoko Ono
ABOUT CHINESE NEW YEAR
Billions of people around the world celebrate the Chinese New Year holiday. The date of the New Year changes every year. It is a 15-day celebration, beginning on the first day of the new moon, and ending on the full moon. The last day of the Asian New Year celebration is on the 15th day. It is called the Chinese Lantern Festival.
Chinese culture is amongst the oldest in the world. While the rest of the world is in the early years of but the third millennium, This culture is in its fifth millennium.
In Chinese astrology, every year is represented by an animal. The cycle is twelve years, with a different animal each year.
Also called the Spring Festival, New Year is the biggest holiday in Asian culture. It is celebrated with festivities, fireworks, brightly colored lights, special meals with family, and gift giving. Like Christmas in the western world, most Chinese travel home to be with family for the new year celebration.
When is Chinese New Year?
• Year 4724 – February 17, 2026, Sign: Horse, a Yang year.
• Year 4725 – February 6, 2027, Sign: Sheep a Yin year.
• Year 4726 – January 26, 2028, Sign: Monkey, a Yang year.
• Year 4727 – February 13, 2029, Sign: Rooster, a Yin year.
• Year 4728 – February 3, 2030. Sign: Dog, a Yang year.
• Year 4729 – January 23, 2031. Sign: Pig, a Yin year.
• Year 4730 – February 11, 2032. Sign: Rat, a Yang year.
• Year 4731 – January 31, 2033, Sign : Ox, a Yin year.
• Year 4732 – February 19, 2034, Sign: Tiger, a Yang year.
• Year 4733 – February 8, 2035, Sign: Rabbit, a Yin year.
• Year 4734 – January 28, 2036, Sign: Dragon, a Yang year.
“He who learns but does not think is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger!” – Confucius
