A birthday is a good time to begin anew; throwing away the old habits, as you would old clothes, and never putting them on again.

The line treats the birthday not as a mere anniversary but as a deliberate threshold for moral and personal renovation. Alcott’s image—discarding habits like worn clothing—casts self-improvement as an act of practical housekeeping: identify what no longer serves, remove it decisively, and refuse relapse (“never putting them on again”). The emphasis falls on will and ritual timing: a birthday supplies a socially recognized moment for self-audit, resolutions, and recommitment. In a broader Transcendentalist key often associated with Alcott, the quote implies that character is not fixed; it can be re-formed through conscious choice, with the self capable of periodic rebirth.