Well, it’s that time of year again. Another 12 months have passed, and we are now faced with that year-end tradition of reflecting on what’s transpired. Are you a better person on Dec. 31 than you were on Jan. 1 of this past year? Did you improve your health? Did you break a bad habit? Did you make amends?
Ok, maybe you fell short in 2023, but the New Year is just around the corner, so now is the time to plan for your 2024 resolutions, just like mankind has done for thousands of years.
The practice of making resolutions at the start of a new year dates back over 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. The Babylonians celebrated the New Year during the first new moon after the vernal equinox (in late March). Their resolutions were often promises made to the gods to repay debts and return borrowed items.
Similarly, ancient Romans made promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. Janus was the god of beginnings and transitions, often depicted with two faces – one looking to the past and the other to the future. Romans believed that by making promises to Janus, they would receive his blessings for the upcoming year.
In Celtic and Wiccan traditions, the festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was considered a time of reflection and spiritual connection, where individuals set intentions for the upcoming year. Neopagans have continued this tradition into modern times.
In Jewish traditions, Rosh Hashanah marks the New Year, with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) following shortly afterward. During this period, individuals reflect on their actions over the past year, seek forgiveness, and make resolutions for self-improvement in the coming year.
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is a time when people in China and other East Asian countries make resolutions for the coming year. This includes setting goals for personal and professional development and expressing hopes for good fortune and prosperity.
Nowruz is the Persian New Year and is celebrated by many cultures in the Middle East and Central Asia. Like other New Year celebrations, people in this culture make resolutions to improve their lives and relationships.
Similarly in the Middle East are the Yezidi people, an ethno-religious group known for a tradition called “Vows of the Peacock Angel.” During the New Year, individuals make vows to the Peacock Angel, Tawusi Melek, expressing their commitment to virtues like truthfulness, charity, and compassion.
In the 19th Century during the Victorian era, New Year’s resolutions often focused on etiquette and manners. Popular publications provided guidance on how individuals could improve their social standing and style in the coming year.
One of the more unusual New Year’s resolution practices comes from a small town in Peru called Chumbivilcas. In Chumbivilcas, there is a tradition known as Takanakuy, which means “when the blood is boiling” in Quechua, the local indigenous language.
During the annual Takanakuy festival held on Dec. 25, community members gather in a designated fighting ring to settle grudges and conflicts from the past year. Participants, often dressed in colorful traditional clothing, engage in friendly, consensual fistfights as a way to release pent-up tensions and start the new year with a clean slate.
While it may seem unusual, Takanakuy is deeply rooted in the local culture, emphasizing reconciliation, forgiveness, and the resolution of conflicts through physical expression rather than harboring negative emotions. The festival is considered a unique and communal way to promote unity within the community and ensure a fresh start in the coming year.
If you’re looking for a roadmap to resolutions, perhaps you should consider Founding Father Benjamin Franklin’s system of 13 virtues that he aimed to cultivate in his own character. These virtues, including temperance, silence, order, and humility, served as a form of personal improvement and moral development. Franklin tracked his progress daily, striving to live in accordance with these principles. If it worked for Ben, it might work for you!
However, if you’re looking for an easy resolution, try resolving to visit the movie theater more often next year. I’ve been dismayed by how empty the theaters are these days and how few people take the time to travel out to enjoy communal entertainment.
Other than that, let me say, “Thanks.” I appreciate the few moments of attention you give me each week when reading “The Movie Diary.” Happy New Year!
Got a question or comment for Dom? You can email him at moviediary@att.net.
