‘It’s a Happy New Year for me and for you (and for Liz Truss*)’

It’s the start of a new academic year for children across the UK, and a chance for the rest of us to partake however we see fit

If (like me) you don’t have school-aged children it’s likely that the significance of this current season may have passed you by. But for much of the UK, this week marks the end of the summer holidays and the beginning of a new school year. And for the most part, what that means for those of us who can happily skim over the phrase “catchment areas” in estate agent listings, is simply that people will finally reply to our emails.

I’ve seen a lot of advertising around this back to school season - including a random offer of a free tub of Jude’s Ice Cream with the purchase of a new pair of children’s school shoes at John Lewis – and while I tend to lament the end of the warmer summer months, I do feel a bit of nostalgia for the excitement of a new season.

I didn’t love school, but I also didn’t hate it. As the boy says, when he’s being politely dismissive about something: ‘It was fine.’ However, I did love new pencil cases, a fresh parker pen and the anticipation of a different teacher, classroom and tutorial group. I even enjoyed the changing over of uniforms, although for me, that did mean a pair of thick, woolly grey tights that, thanks to my long legs, were forever falling down at the crotch.

I remember those early Autumn days on the coach where anything seemed possible, including, of utmost importance for me attending an all-girls’ school, a potential new romance! (Sidenote: I recently told one of my male friends that I had a long-term crush on him when we were in secondary school and despite the fact that teenage girls are far from subtle, he claimed to have had absolutely no idea…) But once I moved into adulthood and the capitalist churn that is our current 9-5 system, that excitement and anticipation that was a constant at this time of year, simply disappeared.

When I think about how we approach the calendar New Year, when January rolls around we share an understanding that we all have the opportunity to start over, with an unmarked slate. Even this idiom came from the classrooms in schools where slates or blackboards would be wiped clean in order to start new lessons. But we don’t have to wait until January to start or feel some of this newness. This month also heralds Rosh Hashanah which is the Jewish New Year. Earlier today as I picked up a card from John Lewis for my self-claimed JBFF (Jewish Best Friend Forever), I thought about how she and her family will be celebrating. The church I first went to (then known as the Worldwide Church of God and founded by Herbert W Armstrong) celebrated all the festivals in the Old Testament including Rosh Hashanah, specified in Leviticus 23:23-25 as the Festival of Trumpets, attributed to the command to commemorate with loud blasts of this biblically significant instrument. Another custom involves eating “festive meals” (which I hope is open to interpretation) and eating symbolic foods including apples dipped in honey, hoping to evoke a sweet new year. And come on, how many of us could use that in our lives?

So this year, parent or not; Jewish or not, I think we should all get in on the newness of September. Yes, the lovely hot days of summer are over but there is something beautiful about the newness of a different season and the opportunities that might bring. So for you: What are the things, people or experiences that delighted you about starting a new term and can you replicate them now? I may not need a school uniform but since I love clothes, I’m treating myself to a few new outfits (although, for the eagle-eyed among you who read this essay, don’t worry they’re not on sale) which will get me excited to dress up so that my colleagues can admire my sartorial choices via Microsoft Teams. What can I say? I’m easily pleased.

And that’s where I think we can learn something from these back to school initiatives and advertising. Oh to go back to a time where something as simple as trip to Ryman’s for a furry pencil case and coloured protractor got my heart racing with the thrill of it all. This might all seem very trivial but there’s (potentially) a lot to be upset, angry and worried about at the moment, so if you have any opportunity to be excited about the days ahead, I’d take it.

*Happy to hear the UK has a female PM? Tell me what you think in the comments!

Tola x

NEXT WEEK: Paid subscribers can look out for my honest confession on how “woke culture” exposed some ugly, deep-seated racism. Trigger warning necessary!