near the beginning of next year

[joham]

In Martin Hewing's ADVANCED GRAMMAR IN USE, unit 62, there is such a sentence:

We say 'in the New Year' to mean at or near the beginning of next year:
I'll see you again in the New Year.

My question is: What does 'near the beginning of next year' mean? Does it mean '(right) after the beginning of next year' or 'before/ toward the beginning of next year'? For I read in the dictionary that the preposition 'toward' means '(of time) near'.

Thank you very much in advance.

[Anglika]

It is flexible. It can be the first week in the new year or the first month or even the third month. What is important is that it is after January 1st.