Changes

====Early History====[[File:Janus-coin-416x419.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Figure 2. Coin depicting Janus, who is the god of the New Year and the first month of the year. ]]The oldest recorded New Year resolution dates to about 2000 BC from ancient southern Mesopotamia, in today's southern Iraq, where the New Year, which occurred at about March 20th in their calendar, would be celebrated in the so-called <i>Akitu</i> festival (Figure 1). The festival was about renewal and looking forward to the New Year. People made oaths to their king as part of this ritual; however, there were also more personal resolutions made. If people borrowed goods from their neighbours neighbors or others, they pledged to return those goods as part of their resolution. Debts were also to be repaid in the New Year , and people were suppose supposed to make oaths to the gods related to this to help them keep their resolution. Individuals would also likely sacrifice to their gods and would hope by keeping their word to fulfill their obligations , then the gods would return favour the favor upon them for a successful year. Rosh Hashanah, which literally means the head of the year, symbolizes not only the New Year but also the escape of the Hebrews from Egypt. The holiday is celebrated in the early autumn, already in ancient periods, as a New Year that was also seen as the beginning of the harvest period. It was also considered as a time of reflection and renewal, as it seen today. The Persian cultures would give each other eggs on New Year to wish each other good luck and to reflect on the New Year. Eggs symbolized a new beginning. Similarly, the Romans, after Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 45 BC and made January (or the god Janus) the official start of the year, celebrated the New Year by making resolutions. What was different about the Julian Calendar is it marked the first time January 1 was the official start of the year and later became the basis for the Western calendar. In fact, the god Janus, who was a god who looked backward and forward and occupied doorways and which reflected the entry of a new beginning symbolically for Romans, symbolized the arrival of the year and expectation for Romans (Figure 2). The New Year was seen as a time of reflection and promises by Romans to lead a better life. Sacrifices and offerings to the gods, and Janus in particular, would be made. It was also seen as a time of forgiveness and mistakes one perhaps made with others would be reconciled during the Near Year, making it a time of renewal.<ref>For more on early New Year celebrations and resolutions in ancient societies, see: Aveni, Anthony F. 2003. <i>The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays</i>. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.</ref>

[[File:Inanna shamashRosh Hashanah, which means the head of the year, symbolizes not only the New Year but also the escape of the Hebrews from Egypt.jpg|thumb|Figure 1The holiday is celebrated in the early autumn, which was often viewed as the New Year because it was the beginning of the harvest period. It was also considered as a time of reflection and renewal, as is seen today. The Akitu festival as depicted in Persian cultures would give each other eggs on New Year to wish each other good luck and to reflect on the New Year. Eggs symbolized a cylinder sealnew beginning. ]]

[[File:Similarly, the Romans, after Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 45 BC and made January (or the god Janus-coin-416x419) the official start of the year, celebrated the New Year by making resolutions.jpg|thumb|Figure 2What was different about the Julian Calendar is it marked the first time January 1 was the official start of the year and later became the basis for the Western calendar. Coin depicting The god Janus, who is was a god who looked backward and forward and occupied doorways and which reflected the god entry of a new beginning symbolically for Romans, symbolized the New Year and first month arrival of the yearand expectation for Romans (Figure 2). ]]

In the early Medieval period, celebrating the The New Year was not as common and, in fact, celebrations were probably subdued. However, by the late Medieval period and early Modern period, the clergy did ask their congregation to use the New Year seen as a time of reflection and to correct mistakes of promises by the past Romans to live lead a better, less sinful life. Knights would also renew promises by making vows Sacrifices and offerings to live a chivalrous life. The Methodiststhe gods, and Janus in the 18th century under John Wesleyparticular, would be made . It was also seen as a special service for New Year, called the Covenant Renewal. This included prayer time of forgiveness and hymns where congregants mistook one perhaps made with others would renew their commitment to God and each other. However, secular celebrations of New be reconciled during the Near Year did become increasingly common in the 18th century. In fact, making it was the secular celebrations a time of New Year that prompted the Methodists and other Protestant churches to commit to New Year services as a way to start the New Year. This tradition still continues in many Protestant and non-Protestant denominations todayrenewal.<ref>For more on early New Year celebrations and resolutions in the Medieval and early Modern periodancient societies, see: ColeAveni, JenniferAnthony F. 20072003.<i> Ceremonies The Book of the SeasonsYear: Exploring and Celebrating Nature’s Eternal CycleA Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays</i>. LondonOxford ; New York: Duncan Baird ; Distributed in the USA and Canada by SterlingOxford University Press.</ref>

==Later Developments==When were New Years's Resolutions revived in Western Europe?====In the early Medieval period, celebrating the New Year was not as common, and celebrations were subdued. However, by the late Medieval period and the first Modern period, the clergy did ask their congregation to use the New Year is a time of reflection and to correct mistakes of the past to live a better, less sinful life. Knights would also renew promises by making vows to live a chivalrous life.

The use of the term "resolution" Methodists, in discussing the 18th century under John Wesley, did a special service for New Year may first appear in the magazine <i>Walker’s Hibernian Magazine</i>, where it encourages people to pledge and make resolutions for called the New YearCovenant Renewal. It also gave a list of resolutions that could be taken by different people This included prayer and professions. In 1813hymns, a Boston newspaper used the phrase "New Year resolution." The newspaper encouraged people where congregants would renew their commitment to live a less sinful life after the indulgences of the holiday period God and one should focus on living a good, sinless life in the New Year, the newspaper encouragedeach other. In the Victorian period in BritainHowever, upper class individuals made it a custom to make more secular celebrations of New Year resolutions. This may have begun or led to the trend of making resolutions to did become slimmer or look better at least in Western traditions. Others made resolutions to have more children or achieve certain status in society. Arguably, increasingly New Year resolutions common in the mid to late 19th 18th century were not just religious but also secular, as people began to make various promises to themselves. In other parts of It was the world, New Year resolutions were a mix of secular and religious, often wishing luck and fortune in the New Year. In many cultures, eating a special type celebrations of food on New Year's day is common, which is intended to bring luck in that prompted the New Year Methodists and help in achieving one's goals in the other Protestant churches to commit to New Year. Eating sweet foods, symbolizing success, is common. The Dutch, for instance, eat services as a dough fritter called <i>olie bollen</i>, which symbolizes success and luck in way to start the New Year. While champagne is common This tradition continues in Western countries to toast the New Year, other cultures also have sweet or alcoholic drinks used to wish each other well in the New Yearmany Protestant and non-Protestant denominations today.<ref>For more on how New Year resolutions developed in the 19th century Medieval and the association of resolution with New YearEarly Modern period, see: Standage Cole, TomJennifer. 20182007. <i>Seriously CuriousCeremonies of the Seasons: 109 Facts Exploring and Figures to Turn Your World Upside DownCelebrating Nature’s Eternal Cycle</i>. London; New York: Profile Books LtdDuncan Baird ; Distributed in the USA and Canada by Sterling. </ref>

==Modern History==Later Developments====The use of the term "resolution" in discussing the New Year may first appear in the magazine <i>Walker’s Hibernian Magazine</i>, where it encourages people to pledge and make resolutions for the New Year. It also gave a list of resolutions that could be taken by different people and professions. In 1813, a Boston newspaper used the phrase "New Year resolution." The newspaper encouraged people to live a less sinful life after the indulgences of the holiday period, and one should focus on living a good, sinless life in the New Year, the newspaper encouraged.

The tradition of New Years resolutions continued to be religious for some, particularly Protestant denominations In the Victorian period in Western societiesBritain, who often would write down their upper-class individuals made it a custom to make more secular New Year resolutions and periodically check to see they fulfilled them during the year. More recent studies This custom may have shown that countries tend begun or led to have different types the trend of focus when it comes to making resolutions. In India, it is more common to wish for a prosperous future become slimmer or look better career prospects. In the United States and Egypt, health was the most common resolution, where both countries struggle with obesityat least in Western traditions. Australia and Japan focused on love Others made resolutions to have more children or finding achieve a soulmatecertain status in society. In RussiaArguably, it was common for individuals increasingly New Year resolutions in the mid to wish for a successful education for their children or others. For many others, having good finances late 19th century were the most commonnot just religious but also secular, in many ways similar as people began to make various promises to themselves. In other parts of the first world, New Year resolution known to us from Babylonia, which emphasized getting out of debts. A more recent study using Twitter showed that the top online 's resolutions were: diet and exercise, reading more, learning something new, saving money, be nicer, get a better job, giving to charity, drinking less, sleeping more, mix of secular and making new friends.<ref>For a recent study on using social media to know what resolutions people make, see: Zhu, Dandan, Yusuke Fukazawa, Eleftherios Karapetsasreligious, often wishing luck and Jun Ota. 2012. “Long-Term Goal Discovery fortune in the Twitter Posts through the Word-Pair LDA Model.” In <i>Advances in Natural Language Processing</i>, edited by Hitoshi Isahara and Kyoko Kanzaki, 7614:262–67. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33983-7_26New Year.</ref>

====Modern History====The tradition of New Year 's resolutions seem continued to be very ancient and most of recorded history associates it with religious behaviour or trying to become a better personfor some, invoking God or the gods particularly Protestant denominations in helping one achieve Western societies, who often would write down their goalsresolutions and periodically check to see they fulfilled them during the year. By the 19th century, New Year resolutions More recent studies have shown that were secular became increasingly common, with familiar ones, such as losing weight, as being one countries tend to have different types of the goals. Throughout history, focus when it was common for people comes to struggle to keep their making resolutions, with people often sliding back into their old habits. NeverthelessIn India, New Year resolutions have been remarkably consistent, often focusing on behaviour and trying it is more common to improve one self. Reflection but looking forward, as symbolized by Janus, are also true in many cultures and has persisted until todaywish for a prosperous future or better career prospects.

In the United States and Egypt, health was the most common resolution, where both countries struggle with obesity. Australia and Japan focused on love or finding a soulmate. In Russia, it was common for individuals to wish for successful education for their children or others. For many others, having good finances was the most common, in many ways similar to the first New Year resolution known to us from Babylonia, which emphasized getting out of debts. A more recent study using Twitter showed that the top online resolutions were: diet and exercise, reading more, learning something new, saving money, be nicer, get a better job, giving to charity, drinking less, sleeping more, and making new friends.<ref>For a recent study on using social media to know what resolutions people make, see: Zhu, Dandan, Yusuke Fukazawa, Eleftherios Karapetsas, and Jun Ota. 2012. “Long-Term Goal Discovery in the Twitter Posts through the Word-Pair LDA Model.” In <i>Advances in Natural Language Processing</i>, edited by Hitoshi Isahara and Kyoko Kanzaki, 7614:262–67. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33983-7_26.</ref> ====Summary====New Year's resolutions appear to be very ancient and most of the recorded history associates it with religious behavior or trying to become a better person, invoking God or the gods in helping one achieve their goals. By the 19th century, New Year resolutions that were secular became increasingly common, with familiar ones, such as losing weight, as being one of the goals. Throughout history, it was common for people to struggle to keep their resolutions, with people often sliding back into their old habits. Nevertheless, New Year's resolutions have been remarkably consistent, often focusing on behavior and trying to improve oneself. Reflection but looking forward, as symbolized by Janus, is also true in many cultures and has persisted until today. ====References====<references/> [[Category:Wikis]] [[Category:Holiday History]][[Category:European History]] [[Category:Ancient History]]