I have always wondered the history behind New Year's Resolutions, here is what I found from a website:
The history of New Year's resolutions spans more than two millennia. Historians report that the mythical Roman King Janus, from whom we get the name of our first calendar month, was a two faced symbol, not because he was a hypocrite, but because he had the ability to look back on the past and look forward to the future. He also became known as the guardian of entrances and doors.
Romans began the celebration of the New Year by seeking forgiveness from their enemies and giving one another gifts. This is where a vague line between Christmas and New Year's traditions becomes blurred. Christians changed New Year's Day to Dec. 25 in the Middle Ages, so gift-giving became a Christian tradition.
New Year Traditions:
Gift-giving is only one of the ancient traditions that marked the beginning of the New Year. Traditions ranged from:
eating black-eyed peas in America
eating lasagna in Sicily
eating 12 grapes at midnight in Spain
giving the front door a fresh coat of red paint in China.
The start of the New Year moved around a bit as various people changed the calendar to mark different events: the winter solstice, phases of the moon, the beginning of spring or a time of planting and sowing. In any case, the New Year is a time of new beginnings for people around the world.
About 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon, the Babylonian New Year was celebrated on the night of the first new moon after the vernal equinox, which was the first day of spring. Babylonians also made New Year's resolutions, though the most popular Babylonian resolution usually had something to do with returning borrowed farm equipment.
History of New Year's Resolutions:
Making a resolution on New Year's Day is a time-honored tradition. Earlier celebrants of the holiday went through elaborate rituals to chase away the ghosts of the past. While the Chinese used cymbals and fireworks, others used rites such as exorcisms and purifications. Ceremonies, involving bonfires, processions or parades, often had masks that symbolized the dead.
The logic behind these traditions is that the demons of the past were eventually exorcised by denouncing past sins, bad habits and frailties. A clean slate would provide a release from the bonds of ill health or oppression.
While making New Year's resolutions is consistent with the history of closing the door on the past year and looking ahead to peace and prosperity, many people make New Year's resolutions that are promptly broken, abandoned or forgotten.
...............................................................................................
In years past I have been reluctant to make New Year's resolutions because of the fact that days or weeks later they are quickly forgotten or put to the way side. This year my resolution is to be easy on myself throughout the ups and downs of my training and weight loss goals as well as be proud of myself in my successes! I welcome 2011 with open arms and I look forward to what I will accomplish, experience and strive for this year! Hope you all had a happy new years and a wonderful start to 2011!
Romans began the celebration of the New Year by seeking forgiveness from their enemies and giving one another gifts. This is where a vague line between Christmas and New Year's traditions becomes blurred. Christians changed New Year's Day to Dec. 25 in the Middle Ages, so gift-giving became a Christian tradition.
New Year Traditions:
Gift-giving is only one of the ancient traditions that marked the beginning of the New Year. Traditions ranged from:
eating black-eyed peas in America
eating lasagna in Sicily
eating 12 grapes at midnight in Spain
giving the front door a fresh coat of red paint in China.
The start of the New Year moved around a bit as various people changed the calendar to mark different events: the winter solstice, phases of the moon, the beginning of spring or a time of planting and sowing. In any case, the New Year is a time of new beginnings for people around the world.
About 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon, the Babylonian New Year was celebrated on the night of the first new moon after the vernal equinox, which was the first day of spring. Babylonians also made New Year's resolutions, though the most popular Babylonian resolution usually had something to do with returning borrowed farm equipment.
History of New Year's Resolutions:
Making a resolution on New Year's Day is a time-honored tradition. Earlier celebrants of the holiday went through elaborate rituals to chase away the ghosts of the past. While the Chinese used cymbals and fireworks, others used rites such as exorcisms and purifications. Ceremonies, involving bonfires, processions or parades, often had masks that symbolized the dead.
The logic behind these traditions is that the demons of the past were eventually exorcised by denouncing past sins, bad habits and frailties. A clean slate would provide a release from the bonds of ill health or oppression.
While making New Year's resolutions is consistent with the history of closing the door on the past year and looking ahead to peace and prosperity, many people make New Year's resolutions that are promptly broken, abandoned or forgotten.
...............................................................................................
In years past I have been reluctant to make New Year's resolutions because of the fact that days or weeks later they are quickly forgotten or put to the way side. This year my resolution is to be easy on myself throughout the ups and downs of my training and weight loss goals as well as be proud of myself in my successes! I welcome 2011 with open arms and I look forward to what I will accomplish, experience and strive for this year! Hope you all had a happy new years and a wonderful start to 2011!
No comments:
Post a Comment