The History of a New Year’s Resolution

January 13, 2022

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By: Kaysey A. Richardson

As each new year approaches, Americans begin to set goals for improving themselves.  In fact, nearly 50% of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions.  This popular tradition has been around longer than you’d think, though it looked much different than it does today.

The first civilization to make New Year’s resolutions were the ancient Babylonians around 4,000 years ago, and rather than making self-reflecting resolutions, they would make promises to their gods.  This was a part of an immense twelve-day festival known as Akitu that took place not in January but in mid-March when crops were planted.  Promises made to the gods included paying their debts and returning objects they had borrowed in hopes that the gods would bestow a favor on them for the upcoming year.

Similarly, ancient Rome established January 1 as the beginning of the new year in 46 B.C. naming the new year after Janus, a two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches.  This was symbolic because the Romans believed that Janus looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future, therefore the Romans offered sacrifices to the god and made promises of good behavior for the coming year.

Early Christians began associating the first day of the new year with an occasion for reflecting on one’s past mistakes and resolving to do better in the future.  In 1740, founder of Methodism John Wesley, created the Covenant Renewal Service which was held on New Year’s Eve.  This service included readings from scriptures and singing hymns. It served as a spiritual event that would celebrate the coming of a new year.

Today, our resolutions are typically less spiritual and more centered around bettering ourselves.  A shift in resolutions first appeared in the 1700s and became a common practice by the beginning of the 19th century.  Again, nearly 50% of people make resolutions, but of that 50% only about 8% will actually succeed in following through with them.  It’s the thought that counts right?

I asked our staff what their resolutions were this year.  Here’s what we said:

Staff New Year’s Resolutions

• Danielle: “My 2022 goal is to paint more, build up my body of work, and grow my reputation as an artist.”
• Kaysey: “My goals for 2022 are to read 10 books a month, watch as many movies from the 80s as I can (because the 80s are weird,) and to practice inner peace and loving myself.”
• Allie: “I’d like to try to cook more in my apartment rather than simply making my go-to’s, listen to and discover different podcasts and music, watch more movies, play more guitar, write more, and achieve a better work/life balance so I have time to do the things I need to do with the things I want to do.”
• Deckard: “My goals are to deadlift 145 lbs., find and read “Who Goes There,” and work more on my book.”
• Alan: “My New Year’s Resolution is continuing Spanish and starting Russian language on Duolingo!”
• Kristin: “For me, I would like to cook and bake more, get my savings on track, and start some sort of side hustle.”
• Brad: “I plan to read a lot, ride my bicycle a lot, and grow plants that will hopefully stay alive.”