3 minute read
New Year’s Resolutions
Angela Szymczuk is a Whitehorse-based writer and espresso-infused, news-consuming “machine” who loves the gym, boxing and spin classes while still fi nding time to enjoy a Macanudo cigar, a glass of Glenfi ddich 18-year-old scotch and pondering how she might teach her cat to scuba dive.
CLOSING OUT THE YEAR
Fun facts about New Year’s resolutions
New Year’s Eve is known to be one of the ultimate party nights of the year. But the carefree celebration does not last long. After the champagne bottles are popped and the New Year’s ball has dropped, “new year, new me” is the next thought that tends to cross people’s minds. And to go along with this new mindset comes a list of New Year’s resolutions. People set goals about all kinds of things that range from health, careers, fi nances, relationships, home improvements, etc. Did you know that this practice of setting New Year’s resolutions dates back to ancient civilizations?
The fi rst time historians found evidence of New Year’s resolutions dates back 4,000 years ago, to ancient Babylon. The new year was celebrated in March to coincide with the growth of new crops. A large festival was held to honour the king, or to crown a new one. During the festival, Babylonians would make promises to their gods. If they kept their promises throughout the year, the gods would be good to them and would grant them favour. If not, they would fall out of favour with the gods.
Historians also discovered the use of New Year’s resolutions in Ancient Rome, during the reign of Julius Caesar. When the emperor switched the calendar from Augustan to Julian, he declared January 1 to be the start of the new year. This is because January is named after the Roman god Janus, who had two faces. The Romans interpreted the two faces as one that was looking backwards, to the past, and one that was looking forward, to the future. Romans would offer sacrifi ces to Janus and make promises to him for the new year.
In the 1700s, the practice of New Year’s resolutions found its way into Christian churches where priests would include them during their New Year’s Eve sermons. Although, as this practice became more popular, not everyone thought that New Year’s resolutions were helpful. Some felt that sin would take place even more because people fi gured out that they could start fresh in January.
In 1813, there was an article in a Boston newspaper (by an unknown author) that states, “And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people, accustomed to receive injunctions of new year resolutions, who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behaviour, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.” A rather interesting excerpt. It also tells us that New Year’s resolutions were a regular tradition during the early 1800s.
Coming back to modern day, there are some who criticize the practice of New Year’s resolutions because the resolutions are often unrealistic. Freelance journal-
ist Harry Guinness suggests that people should be less ambitious with their goals. He wrote in his article “You Should Start Practicing New Year’s Resolutions Now” (New York Times, Dec. 2, 2019): “It’s better to fi nd out in December that a fi ve-mile run is a bit optimistic for your current fi tness level, so you can dial it back and start with two-mile runs in January. And to make sticking to your New Year’s resolution even easier, with a few weeks of occasional warm-up jogs, you won’t be starting from scratch on Jan. 1. You’ll already have gotten over the worst of the starting period. You PHOTO: Pixabay
might even be beginning to see results. “
He may not be completely wrong. Some statistics show that only eight per cent of resolutions are kept and successfully followed through. Perhaps it is better to start small and work your way up.
Regardless of whether you see your resolutions through or not, they are still a great way to setup and plan your year. Goals can be challenging; it’s the effort that really matters.
Have a very happy New Year, stay safe, and crush those resolutions—no matter how big or small they may be! n
Season’s greetings Best wishes for a joyful holiday season and continued health and happiness throughout the coming year. From the Yukon University Board of Governors and employees.
Please note that access to the Yukon University buildings and services may vary during the holidays. Visit YukonU.ca/holiday-hours for a full schedule.
