History of New Year’s Resolutions: Where Did They Begin?
As I mentioned previously, New Year’s Day celebrations began in pre-Christian times, beginning with the Babylonians in March but later changed to January by the Romans.
Where did we get the idea of New Year’s Resolutions and why at the beginning of the year?
Roman New Years Resolutions
The month of January is dedicated to the Roman god who gave it its name, Janus, the two-faced deity who looks backward into the old year and forwards into the new. His feast day, the Agonalia is on January 9. Janus was also the patron and protector of arches (Ianus in Latin), transitions, time, gates, doors, doorways, endings, and beginnings. He was also the patron of bridges. This statue (pictured above) is set on the bridge Ponte Fabricio, which crosses the Tiber River from Rome to Tiber Island. It survives today from its original construction in 62 BC during the time of Julius Caesar.
Even today, it is believed that touching the Janus head as you cross the bridge will bring good fortune, which is why it is so well worn now. (The followers of the goddess Juno have a competing claim to the month of January, according to ancient Roman farmers’ almanacs.)
