New year means new beginning for a lot of us, how do we celebrate these new beginnings? With New Year’s traditions, you may have heard about New Year’s resolutions which is one of the many popular traditions. But how did these traditions come to be? And how have they remained so popular to this day?
According to History, “The earliest recorded festivities in honor of a new year’s arrival date back some 4,000 years to ancient Babylon.” Which means that these traditions have been passed down for quite a while now. It’s said that eating certain traditional New Year’s meals on New Year’s Eve is said to bring good luck and other virtues. Of course, the dishes depend on the culture but some common foods include pork, pudding, rice and pastries.
Other customs such as watching the giant ball in New York is also another very popular one. People gather and watch as the giant ball drops at midnight in Times Square. But the most popular tradition would be New Year’s resolutions. History says that “The practice of making resolutions for the new year is thought to have first caught on among the ancient Babylonians, who made promises in order to earn the favor of the gods and start the year off on the right foot.” Many of these traditions that we know now have been tied back to many years of history and even now we continue to make history with each passing year.
This year, make some resolutions that you’ll be sure to put some work into, it could be anything from speaking out more in class, making new friends, or getting more involved with your community. Anything can be a resolution as long as you put your mind to it. A new year means a new opportunity, and it’s best to make the most of it.
