New Year
Svetlana Popović Vujotić
Life
The New Year has not yet fully settled into our lives, even though January is coming to an end. The magic of the holidays is still present, despite the fact that we may have celebrated for too long and spent too much.
The Europe we aspire to, by tradition, moved from the old year to the new in a single day and immediately continued at its usual pace, because time is money.
In the Balkans, farewells are not our strong suit, nor are we particularly good with meetings. We prepare for that moment for a long time: we celebrate it euphorically for days, then recover from it, and afterward remember it nostalgically… When February finally arrives, we understand why it is more important than January and cannot be compared to the other months.
New Year’s holidays are part of the history of human memory. Their popularity is unquestionable, but the feelings that accompany them are not. Some rejoiced, while others grieved.
Those who were happy mostly tried not to think about the lonely, the poor, and the powerless, not wanting concern for others’ problems to spoil their enjoyment. Those who were sad felt depressed because of the holidays…
"What is a man, that he must be a man?", Njegoš asked himself.
Altruism and empathy are the foundations of humanity’s moral values. No one can be happy and fulfilled solely because of wealth and power. Every person needs another person—and not just one, but an entire community.
The essence of life is to love, understand, and help others.