New Years Resolution
I was curious about these New Yew Year’s resolutions humans go on about, so I researched their origins.
I discovered that New Year’s resolutions actually go back to ancient times! So humans have been making and breaking resolutions for thousands of years. BOL!
In 2000 B.C., the Babylonians celebrated the New Year during a 12 day festival called Akitu which started during the vernal equinox, which we commonly know as the spring equinox. The vernal or spring equinox was the start of the farming season to plant crops and the start of new growth.
Resolutions were made to celebrate the new beginnings and prosperity for the year and as a way to please the gods in the hope they would treat the person more favourably throughout the year.
People made promises to pledge their loyalty to their king, pay their debts, return farm equipment and return other items to their rightful owners.
In 46 B.C. the Romans changed the timing of the new year when they adopted the Julian Calendar. They also declared January the 1st as New Year’s Day. January was named after the god Janus. Janus was a two faced god that looked forward to new beginnings and looked backward for reflection and resolution.
The Romans would offer sacrifices to Janus and make promises of good behaviour for the year ahead.
Janus was also the guardian of gates and doors. He presided over the temple of peace, where the doors were opened only during wartime. It was a place of safety where new beginnings and new resolutions could be forged.
New Year’s resolutions were also made in the Middle Ages. Medieval knights would renew their vow to chivalry by placing their hands on a peacock. The annual “Peacock Vow” would take place at the end of the year as a resolution to maintain their knightly values. Peacocks were chosen as it was believed they were connected to resurrection and eternal life.
By the 17th century, New Year’s resolutions were so common that folks found humour in the idea of making and breaking their pledges. A Boston newspaper from 1813 featured the first recorded use of the phrase “New Year resolution.”
During early 1900s New Year resolutions were more religious or spiritual, reflecting a desire to develop stronger moral character, a stronger work ethic, and more restraint in the face of earthly pleasures.
Today’s resolutions tend to be about status, financial wealth, health, responsibility, and self-discipline, which isn’t that different from Babylonian times.