How Many New Years Are There?

This year, we're far away from family, there's a time zone difference and there's an almost four year old with unlimited access to her mother so she can ask unlimited questions.

Back in India, I would've probably smsed all friends and family, called close ones to wish them for a new year. I could do it in my free time, which would've essentially been the time Driti was busy - maybe at school, maybe at the park with Chinamma, her nanny.

Here, I told her that I needed to wish friends and family good for the new year. She was all very excited, but we just did not get around to it. Why? I'm going to count that as another question.

This is what happened, on the 1st of January. And it all started at 7:00 AM. We were anyway too tired after seeing fireworks at the neighborhood and attending Vishal's birthday party.

"Driti, we need to call everyone and wish them a very happy new year!"
"Why Mamma?"
"Because, it's a new year?"
"It's like a birthday?"
"Yes, it's like the year's birthday"
"Then why should we call everyone? We should call only the year?"
"Umm..."
"How many years old is the year?
"Umm...."
"Why is it new? When my birthday comes on 24th March, I become 4 years old or 4 years new?
"4 years old"
"Then why is the year becoming new? I want to be new. You can't pick me if I become old. When will 24th March come?
"After February"
"Is this February?
"No, it's January"
"December is over? Christmas is over?"
"Yes."
"You said March will come after December"
"After December, January and February"
"But it is not coming. Why am I still 3 and my friends are 4?"
And it went on till the end of the next day, and after that, the year didn't seem so new after all.
Happy Old year y'all!