We are off to a good start !!!
This year’s first “Neighborly News” is Issue #22
New Year's Resolutions
How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions?
According to this article I found on MentalFloss, it appears that only 9.2 percent of people are successful in sticking them out.
So, WHY does this tradition live on when so many people fail to keep the resolutions they make? Well, we can start by blaming the ancient Babylonians.
Around 4000 years ago in Babylon, the earliest recorded celebration honoring the coming of a new year was held. Calendars weren’t as they are today, so the Babylonians kicked things off in late March during the first new moon after the Spring Equinox.
Resolutions continued on with the Romans. When the early Roman calendar no longer synced up with the sun, Julius Caesar decided to make a change. He consulted with the best astronomers and mathematicians of the time and introduced the Julian calendar, which more closely represents the modern calendar we use today. Caesar declared January 1 the first day of the year to honor the god of new beginnings, Janus. The Romans celebrated the New Year by offering sacrifices to Janus.
Source: “Why Do We Make New Year’s Resolutions?” by Shanna Yehlen, MentalFloss.com
Most Popular Resolutions
- Lose weight/eat healthier
- Get organized
- Save more money
- Quit smoking
- Enjoy life
- Spend more quality time with close friends and family members
- Get—and stay—healthy
- Learn something new
- Help others pursue their goals
- Find love