Published By: Sayan Paul

Keeping New Year Resolutions? Here's How The Tradition Began & Gained Popularity

New Year celebrations are incomplete without making resolutions. But ever wondered how the tradition actually began?

Earth completes another full rotation around the Sun, and here we are - celebrating a new year, throwing parties, bursting crackers, and whatnot. Jokes apart, the new year does bring with it a chance for new beginnings. And hence, this is the time to set resolutions for those goals we have been planning to work on but haven't yet. It could be anything from shedding excess weight to traveling to spending more time with family to managing finances better. Of course, just like every other year, we are likely to fail them again this time. But that doesn't matter - the point is the HOPE behind making such resolutions that fuels us, and keeps us truly alive. As 'The Shawshank Redemption' stated, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things..."

As we make resolutions for the coming year, 2025, let's take a moment and learn the history behind the tradition.

During The Ancient Era

First of all, it's quite difficult to pinpoint the origin of New Year resolutions, since there's no definitive historical record. However, based on various scriptures, historians believe that the first such resolutions were kept in 2000 B.C. in Babylonia. The ancient Babylonians used to celebrate the new year during the start of spring through a 12-day festival called Akitu. During the celebrations, they would make resolutions to pay off all their debts and return borrowed farm equipment to the owners. They believed that by keeping their resolutions, they would be favored by God.

(Credit: Ancient Origins)

According to historians, the tradition traveled from the Babylonians to the Romans. In 46 B.C., the modern-day Gregorian New Year began in Rome, declaring January 1 as the start of a year. (Before that, Romans, just like the Babylonians, had considered March as the beginning of a year). It was an effort to honor the Roman God Janus. And during the celebrations, they would offer sacrifices to Janus and make resolutions of good behavior for the time ahead.

(Credit: Blake Burge)

Later, medieval knights had the tradition of making an annual “Peacock Vow” at the end of the year, pledging to live up to their knightly standard.

The 17-18th Century

Of course, the tradition traveled from one place to another and evolved constantly - just like many other traditions. By the 17th century, it became pretty common in various regions, especially in the West. But it wasn't termed as "New Year’s resolutions" at that time, and unlike today, there were (perhaps) no such promises to lose weight. People used to promise themselves to become better human beings, not offend anyone, practice work ethics, and follow religion properly among others.

With time, the idea of making resolutions and then failing to keep them became a subject of humor. In 1802, the popular Walker’s Hibernian Magazine wrote, ".. the following personages have begun the year with a strong of resolutions, which they all solemnly pledged to keep. Statesmen have resolved to have no other object in view than the good of their country…the physicians have determined to follow nature in her operations, and to prescribe no more than is necessary, and to be very moderate in their fees."

However, the first recorded use of the phrase “New Year resolution" was in a Boston newspaper in 1813. It wrote, "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 behavior, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.”

In Modern Times

Till the early 20th century, resolutions were limited to religious or spiritual things as mentioned earlier. With time, it became more general, focusing on self-improvement. And today, it's an integral part of New Year celebrations.

Wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR ahead!