New Year’s Eve this year will celebrate the rare occurrence of a Blue Moon! The term "blue moon" refers to the second full moon in a calendar month, a lunar event that last happened on December 31st in 1990 and won’t happen again for 19 years.

The very idea of a calendar month is a relatively recent concept, as months were originally measured by the period between lunations, the word "month" comes from "moon". A cultural revolution took place in the Classical Period, which saw the development of the solar year of 12 months, based on the seasons and connected with the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

This popular idiom should probably read “once in a blue moon on New Year’s Eve” since that occurrence is much more rare than two full moons in any given month, which happens about every 2.5 years. There is a lot of math involved and variables such as time zones… and great legends, histories, and stories, which we encourage you to Google.

But what’s in it for you?!
Well, whether it’s blue, green or hot pink, the moon affects us all with the general ebb and flow it causes in our physical and astrological worlds. For you personally, it will depend on how this particular full moon is positioned in your chart. It could be a wild ride or an ordinary day. Either way we suggest you use this rare phenomenon to slow down, reflect, and spend some quality time thinking about your 2010.

Find a great spot to gaze upon the Blue Moon, put on your imaginary Janus* mask, think about what you’re grateful for in 2009 and let your imagination go with dreams of what you’d like your life to look like in 2010. Take a notepad and jot your thoughts down. On Monday, post it on your fridge or computer and don’t lose sight of them!

Happy New Year all-stars!
Chef Cosmo and paSous

Some interesting history…
*Janus, the Roman god of gates, doors, and beginnings. January was named after Janus, who had two faces – one looking forward and the other looking backward.

Ancient New Years
The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It is believed to have been first observed in March in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible crescent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. The Romans continued to observe the New Year in March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar.

Middle Ages: January 1st Abolished
In medieval Europe, however, the celebrations accompanying the new year were considered pagan and unchristian like, and in 567 AD the Council of Tours abolished January 1 as the beginning of the year.

Gregorian Calendar: January 1st Restored
In 1582, the Gregorian calendar reform restored January 1 as New Year’s Day. Although most Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar almost immediately, it was only gradually adopted among Protestant countries. The British, for example, did not adopt the reformed calendar until 1752. Until then, the British Empire, and their American colonies, still celebrated the New Year in March.

Sources: Wikipedia.com, Wilstar.com, InfoPlease.com, LunarLiving.org, and CNN.com

Curious about the history of egg nog? Of course it’s a widely popular concoction that everyone wants to claim responsibility for, but was probably started out of a need, which usually means medicinal for the aristocracy. We have a lot of gratitude for the creative doctors that were tasked with caring for the idle rich… here’s some research done under the influence!

The origins, etymology, and even the ingredients used to make the original eggnog drink are debated. Modern eggnog typically consists of milk, sugar, nutmeg, and eggs. Frequently cream is substituted for some portion of the milk to make a much richer drink.

Eggnog, or a very similar drink, may have originated in East Anglia, England, though it may also have been developed from posset (a medieval European medicinal beverage made with hot milk, wine, eggs, and spices). An article by Nanna Rögnvaldsdóttir, an Icelandic food expert, states that the drink adopted the "nog" part of its name from the word "noggin", a Middle English term used to describe a small, wooden, carved mug used to serve alcohol. Another name for this British drink was Egg Flip. Yet another story is that the term derived from the name "egg-and-grog", a common Colonial term used to describe rum. Eventually the term was shortened to "egg'n'grog", then "eggnog".

The ingredients for the drink were too expensive and uncommon for the lower classes, but it was popular among the aristocracy. "You have to remember, the average Londoner rarely saw a glass of milk," says author and historian James Humes (To Humes It May Concern, July 1997). "There was no refrigeration, and the farms belonged to the big estates. Those who could get milk and eggs to make eggnog mixed it with brandy or Madeira or even sherry.”

The drink crossed the Atlantic to the English colonies during the 18th century. Since brandy and wine were heavily taxed, rum from the Triangular Trade with the Caribbean was a cost-effective substitute. The inexpensive liquor coupled with plentiful farm and dairy products helped the drink become very popular in America.

Cousins Tom & Jerry: In the 1820's Pierce Egan, a period author, wrote a book called "Life of London: or Days and Nights of Jerry Hawthorne and His Elegant Friend Corinthina Tom". To publicize his work Mr. Egan made up a variation of eggnog he called "Tom and Jerry". It added 1/2 oz of brandy to the basic recipe (fortifying it considerably and adding further to its popularity).

Recipe and video by Paula Deen, (Capricorn, but oh so Aquarius!)

Sources: Wikipedia.com, InDepthInfo.com, FoodNetwork.com