PMTvoice

We’re almost there, the start to another new year.  With that new year on our horizon, so are thoughts of “Resolutions”, new beginnings and New Year’s “luck”.  The whole idea of New Year’s traditions however, has a very interesting, and odd past.

Let’s start with the well known “New Year’s Resolutions.”  The tradition of the New Year’s Resolutions goes back to 153 B.C.  Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.  Janus was always depicted as having two faces.  One face forward, and one looking backwards.  That way, Janus could look back on past events, but also look to the future.  Romans of the time would celebrate the new year by exchanging gifts, and giving each other branches from “sacred trees” as good luck tokens.  (It seems like I’ve been writing a lot about “sacred trees” lately, doesn’t it?  Apparently people of antiquity had a thing for trees.)  People of the time would seek forgiveness from their enemies.

The Babylonian New Year was celebrated for 11 days starting on March 23rd, with each day providing a different “mode” of celebration.  I will leave my description of this to this:  It’s safe to say that today’s celebrations are tame compared to what happened in antiquity.  To their credit however, it was the Babylonians who, almost 4000 years ago, started the tradition of “resolutions” by pledging to return something borrowed from a friend from the previous year.  People have been breaking resolutions every since.

The most common resolution to make is probably that of losing weight and getting oneself healthy and fit.  That’s one of my goals for this upcoming year.  However, according to an article on Wikipedia, “Recent research shows that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals.”  Men that took the time to set small, measurable goals however are 22% more likely to achieve success, versus just saying they want to “lose weight.”  Women are 10% more likely to achieve their goals if they make them known to others according to studies.

For myself, I will be joining a “biggest loser” contest here at PrintMyThing.  There are 10 other contestants, and we’re all paying into a “pot” to be a part of the contest.  The top 2 participants that lost the most percentage of their body weight will split the pot 60/40.  The combination of group accountability/support, and financial reward will most likely improve all of our chances of succeeding in losing the weight we want.  Be sure that if you make a resolution, you specifiy your goal, and try to be accountable to someone for the goals you have set.

The rest of the Odd History of the New Year celebration has more to do with traditions of “luck”, than of resolutions themselves.  Here’s a small list I’ve compiled of worldwide “luck” traditions observed throughout the world:

• In Austria, a  suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the new year. It’s served decorated with tiny edible pigs. Dessert is often green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover.  The ice cream I’m cool with.  The tiny edible pigs…not so much.
• Wales ushers in luck by opening the back door at the first toll of midnight and then shutting it to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is welcomed with all of its luck.
• An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year’s Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck.  (Personally, I LOVE this tradition.  Lasagna is an excellent food.  Macaroni (with cheese anyway), not so good.
• In Greece, A special New Year’s bread is baked with a coin buried in the dough. The first slice is for the Christ child, the second for the father of the household and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice holds the coin, spring will come early that year.  Odd.
• The kiss shared at the stroke of midnight in the United States is derived from masked balls that have been common throughout history. As tradition has it, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the old year and the kiss is the purification into the new year.  Whatever the history of the tradition…who doesn’t enjoy kissing their significant other? 

There are many more odd traditions of luck and resolutions that I could share, but there’s some of the highlights that I ran across while studying up on this topic.  We here at PrintMyThing and PrintMyRibbon wish you all the very best in 2010.  Happy New Year!