We are taught that the New Year belongs to the bright, busy days of January. But the ancient calendars often invite us to being again the quiet of the dark. 🌑✨

Hekatombaion is the first month of the Athenian lunisolar calendar and the start of the civic year. Historically, this was a joyful time to adorn household shrines and honour Apollon, Hestia, the household Gods, and the Heroes with offerings such as fragrant frankincense and cakes.

For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, this lunisolar calendar gives us a beautiful gift; a mid-winter reset. Instead of the rush and pressure that often surrounds the modern January New Year, we are given a quiet opportunity to set our intentions during the reflective depths of winter.

Because a Hellenic day begins at dusk, the New Year arrives on the evening, though the exact moment the moon's crescent becomes visible can shift by a day depending on where you are. You don't need an elaborate ceremony to make the threshold. Simply light a fresh taper to welcome the returning lunar light, burn a little frankincense, bake a cake for your hearth, and write down your hopes and intentions for the year ahead.