Bula Vinaka. Today is the last Sunday of 2025 and I hope your week was fruitful and great.
On Wednesday, the world over will be in the New Year’s Eve mode, ready to bid goodbye to a year that was and welcome in a brand new one.
At home, Fijians would be among the very few places on earth, including neighbours New Zealand, Kiribati, Tokelau and Tonga, to greet 2026 first – thanks to the International Date Line that crosses through the Garden Island of Taveuni.
For us, there would be lots of lovo feasting, communal gathering, dancing and parties, nightclub revelry, family picnics and sigidrigi by the grog bowl.
In town and city neighbourhoods, corks would pop from wine bottles, families toast over chilled beer, fireworks light up the evening skies, stereos boomed with the latest music hits and the night life buzzed with pub crawlers and mardi gras fans.
Some might chose a jungle juice mix that would last till dawn.
In the remote rural areas, the scene would be a little different.
I remember the “torture” sessions I endured during my childhood days on Qamea Island, when rubbed with putrid breadfruit, grated wild yams that made you itch for hours and pungent mud from mangrove flats, by my tavales who made sure I suffered their onslaught of pranks and distasteful jokes.
Sometimes the whole village would erupt with the deafening sound of bamboo canons, the sonorous clatter of drums made out of empty Lees biscuit tins and the melody of island tunes sung at the top of people’s lungs.
Mataqali(s) would take turn in hosting church services and tea parties that featured homemade pastries and draunimoli.
Those were the days – no television, no nightclubs, no family parks, no mobile phones – just clean island fun and gaiety that went on for weeks.
Celebrations aside, there’s a moral value and twist to the arrival of a new year that’s more than meets the eye.
Underneath the glitz and sparkles of the holiday, are deep-rooted spiritual meanings, which ancient civilisations have observed for centuries.
While New Year celebrations, which often go on for weeks, are unique to each culture, they share a few areas of commonalities.
A new year is generally a time for paradigm shift – getting things straight, reflecting on one’s shortcomings, fixing tarnished relationships and setting targets (among other things).
It is about relooking at where we went wrong and refocusing attention on how to make things right.
Some try to lose weight, quit alcohol, buy new property, save up and reconnect with loved ones.
While some of these may be good new year jump starters, they often get dumped along the way as our personal drive fizzles out in a matter of days or weeks.
I am guilty of making recurrent resolutions, all because of my inability to stick to ultra enthusiastic personal promises I make on weight loss.
It is therefore important to think of practical things that we can easily follow and achieve instead of trying out something ‘out of our league’.
Studies contend that as humans we are most optimistic at the beginning of any effort, causing us to be overly optimistic.
We get too ambitious, we set goals that are too unrealistic. Sometimes this becomes risky because it makes us overcommit.
“They might stir up excitement now, but later on they will create the temptation to reach the goal by any means necessary,” advises Brett Beasley in an online article on ethical leadership.
In his 2025 NY’s message, Prime Minister Rabuka seemed to realise this when reflecting on his Government’s policy on education and poverty alleviation, social cohesion and national unity, among others.
“It is a work in progress and the year 2025 will be a turning point in this effort,” he said.
“Government cannot do it alone and I call on all Fijians to be heard, to participate and have their say in these processes and consultations.
“I will not wish you a year without challenges but sincerely hope that 2025 will be a year of renewed strength, hope, and confidence, to ensure prosperity and unity for our beloved nation.”
Our religions are also big on resolutions. If you ever get the chance to attend a Christian NY’s church service, you will hear a litany of sermons focused on nothing else but making a spiritual turnaround.
In the Bible, for instance, Ephesians 4:22-24 tells Christians to reject our “former way of life” and “old self.” This includes all the worldly attitudes and desires that so often seduce our conscience.
Therefore, as a Christian, NY for me means making new beginnings and reminding myself to align with God’s will while journeying through a fresh period of 12 months.
This year I want to be kinder to the environment and seek out practical ways of contributing to fixing the planet. I have three achievable means of doing that.
With my size and weight, I am unable to plant trees to replace those felled in the forest so I’m thinking of planting in my backyard. A few fruit trees and green vegetables would be a good start.
Secondly, I want to get into recycling and reduce my use of single-use plastics.
Thirdly, I want to be an aggressive energy saver in 2025 by turning appliances off when they are not in use.
Until we meet on this same page same time. Next week, stay blessed, stay healthy and stay safe!
