“Fast away the old year passes” is a line out of the old Christmas carol “Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly.”

A year from now, some people are likely to be singing that line about the year 2025 that is now newly upon us.

What is important, though, is what will happen between now and then.

Many people are optimistic; many are very pessimistic.

One of the important points that the Mirror sought to convey to readers in its Christmas Day editorial was that Christmastime is full of opportunity.

However, opportunity is virtually nothing for those who fail to couple it with determination to accomplish what the opportunity is geared toward achieving.

How committed one remains to determination is a reasonable barometer for how successful a new year might be judged 12 months from now.

And, remember: A shallow New Year’s resolution is easily forgotten, but one that is challenging and which has a higher proverbial payoff can multiply the incentive for remaining committed to it.

Keep that in mind no matter how tough the challenges might be during the days, weeks and months ahead.

Looking back at 2024, America was able to distance itself further from COVID-19 and the effects of the pandemic, thanks to the availability of vaccines and more awareness of the necessity for personal preventative measures.

But while progress was being made on that front, America’s elections provided more than enough cause for many voters and nonvoters alike to lose faith in that basic exercise of democracy.

It is reasonable to conclude that some people who grew tired and confused by what they witnessed — and what was alleged — over what seemed like campaigns lasting forever might opt to remain on the sidelines — not voting — in some or all future elections.

How much America’s image has taken a “hit” as a result of the 2024 election season will become increasingly apparent over the next year or two. Almost certainly there will be fallout in other nations of the world, both friendly and nonfriendly.

Meanwhile, Mother Nature struck a costly, devastating blow on the weather front that caused many Americans to wonder from where the money would come to repair the damage caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods and everything else that caused what seemed to be an endless cycle of pain, death and heartache.

Some people probably wondered at times whether the planet was trying to deliver a message — a warning — about the need for nations to get their act together on the controversial issue of global warming. Perhaps there also is a message hidden somewhere about the need for warring nations to put their differences to rest, once and for all.

For the benefit of anyone who hasn’t noticed, the world is not a happy place and is badly in need of new leadership in many countries to try to bring about a more peaceful mindset.

Not even booming stock markets around the world can affect the kind of change that is necessary at this place in time, as long as tyrants are allowed to continue to rule.

Now let’s look close to home.

Anyone who reads the Mirror regularly knows the extent of criminal activity here, including horrific sexual assaults directed at, especially, children.

“Fast away the old year passes” might indeed be the best message upon which to reflect today and, perhaps, for some time to come.