Worth Sharing: New Year Thoughts

 

Resolution:  the firm resolve to do or not  to do something

Do you make New Year's resolutions?  

I was determined to make resolutions for the year tonight  but got involved instead in finding out the origins of New Year celebrations.

The Babylonians were the creators of New Year's celebrations but for them, the New Year began in March during the planting of Spring crops.  It was a 12 day celebration, and was the time when new kings were crowned, or  ruling kings were acknowledged.  As well, they made offerings to their various gods.  They made promises to friends and neighbors that they would repay debts or return borrowed objects.  These good deeds would earn them favor in the eyes of their gods. The favor of the gods was sought in order to have a prosperous and blessed year at a time of year when all life was seen as beginning anew.

In the 4th century, Rome began celebrating New Year but moved the celebration to January, a month they named for the god Janus who both looked backward and ahead, at the same time.  Poor fellow was always looking back into the past and ahead into the future and never had a moment to be in the present! 

Janus was the patron saint of bridges and doorways and the protector of arches (now you know why so many arches exist in aqueducts!).   The Romans made offerings to Janus and made vows of doing good in the year ahead.  These vows were 'moral' ones of doing good to others.  

Christians began celebrating New Year's day around  the 4th century B.C.  as well.   The moral resolutions were replaced by fasting and ritual prayer, especially in Rome which had become the center of Christianity.   Christians were very reluctant to do anything which  associated with the pagan practices of worshipping Janus.  

In the early 18th century Puritans refused to even utter the word January and instead addressed the month as "First month".   The Puritans avoided any sense of revelry and instead taught their children to reflect on the year behind them and contemplate the year ahead and where they might improve their lives in the year ahead.  They began making resolutions, which is the same thing that the pagan worshippers had been doing all along.  

Puritan Johnathon Edwards took the writing of resolutions to an artform.  He took two years, from ages 19 to 21, to write 70 resolutions on various aspects of his life.  He reviewed his resolutions each week.  You can read his resolutions here.  I rather admire his Resolutions 6 and 7:

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

In 1740 John Wesley, English clergyman and founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Service, which was most commonly held on New Year's Eve night or New Year's Day.  Today many churches call these special gatherings "Watch Nights".   The nights in Wesley's time were marked with hymns and prayers and spiritual readings.

It was believed that after the revelry of Christmas celebrations one ought to have a sober attitude toward the coming year and should repent of sins, hence the moral nature of resolutions in the past.

By the Victorian era, resolutions once again began to contain more secular tones and tended to be concerned with self rather than of any higher moral nature.  

And of course, New Year's day once again became a time of high revelry and merrymaking.  Goodness, we do seem to be going in circles with New Year's don't we?

Today it is estimated that only 45% of Americans make resolutions and of those few 80% of them will utterly fail in their resolve.  The staggering sums spent on exercise, diet, organizational items and self help books in January alone is astronomical.  Sadly 80% of those purchases will sit gathering dust by the end of January and donated before the year is out.

Eventually special foods became associated with New Year's Day celebrations.  I grew up eating Ham or Pork (a fat year ahead) with Black Eyed Peas and Rice (representing coinage) and Collard or Turnip Greens (representing dollars).    

The Dutch celebrate with Olie Boellen, a type of dough fritter.  

A Spanish tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each of the coming months, insuring good fortune if all 12 are eaten prior to midnight.

In Scandinavian and Polish countries, Pickled herring is often served as part of the New Year's Day feasting.

In Denmark and Norway, Kransekage, a tower of cake like cookies is often served.

In Germany it's tiny little pigs made of marzipan which are hidden on the New Year's Day dinner tables that greets guests.

I no longer eat pork on New Year's day but I do miss the tradition of that meal.  Is there a special food you eat on New Year's day?

Finally we might say "Auld Lang Syne", a song traditionally sung in English countries to say farewell to the old year...

All that to say, "Happy New Year!" to each of you.