What You Didn't Know About New Year's Resolutions
By: Amee Gronczewski
Issue date: 12/15/09 Section: Lifestyle
January 1st is coming up fast and a new year is a fresh start for everyone. We hear our friends and family declaring what they want to change or what they hope to accomplish during the upcoming year. New Year's resolutions seem like a great way to better oneself, but from where did the tradition of making New Year's resolutions originate?
The Romans started the tradition in 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical Roman king with two faces, was placed at the head of the Roman calendar. With one face he would look at the past and with the other towards the future. Janus was also the god of beginnings, and the guardian of doors and entrances. The Romans traditionally asked for forgiveness from their enemies of the past year.
The week between Christmas and the New Year is a time when people reflect upon the events of the past year and start thinking about how they want to change the future.
During this time, everyone is deciding what it is that he or she wants to change for the upcoming New Year. The most popular resolutions are to lose weight, quit smoking, and more generally, to be a better person.
"I'm going to try to make it to the gym at least three times a week," says Pelliccio, 21, a Fire Science major from Bayonne.
"My feelings on resolutions, personally, are that I set goals, but I don't follow through," says Nicole Garcia, 21, an Education and Psychology major from Bayonne.
"I would like to eat better, get in shape, and not be so lazy. But, with a busy schedule, I probably won't keep my resolution."
Others, like Dr. Laura Wadenpfuhl, and Charlene Otero have mixed feelings on making New Year's resolutions.
"My resolution is to read Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time also known as Remembrance of Things Past," declares Dr. Laura Wadenpfuhl, Assistant Professor of the English Department.
"I don't believe in making resolutions every year because people break them - I break them - so I think that if we really want to change something in our lives, whatever moment we're at is the time to do it and not to wait for an artificial day to do so."
"I don't really make resolutions every year and when I do, I don't keep them, " said Charlene Otero, a member of the English Department staff.
"A lot of people say they want to lose weight and live healthy, but I just don't make them."
Most of us make New Year's resolutions and many will keep them during the year while others will not. What is your resolution going to be?
The Romans started the tradition in 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical Roman king with two faces, was placed at the head of the Roman calendar. With one face he would look at the past and with the other towards the future. Janus was also the god of beginnings, and the guardian of doors and entrances. The Romans traditionally asked for forgiveness from their enemies of the past year.
The week between Christmas and the New Year is a time when people reflect upon the events of the past year and start thinking about how they want to change the future.
During this time, everyone is deciding what it is that he or she wants to change for the upcoming New Year. The most popular resolutions are to lose weight, quit smoking, and more generally, to be a better person.
"I'm going to try to make it to the gym at least three times a week," says Pelliccio, 21, a Fire Science major from Bayonne.
"My feelings on resolutions, personally, are that I set goals, but I don't follow through," says Nicole Garcia, 21, an Education and Psychology major from Bayonne.
"I would like to eat better, get in shape, and not be so lazy. But, with a busy schedule, I probably won't keep my resolution."
Others, like Dr. Laura Wadenpfuhl, and Charlene Otero have mixed feelings on making New Year's resolutions.
"My resolution is to read Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time also known as Remembrance of Things Past," declares Dr. Laura Wadenpfuhl, Assistant Professor of the English Department.
"I don't believe in making resolutions every year because people break them - I break them - so I think that if we really want to change something in our lives, whatever moment we're at is the time to do it and not to wait for an artificial day to do so."
"I don't really make resolutions every year and when I do, I don't keep them, " said Charlene Otero, a member of the English Department staff.
"A lot of people say they want to lose weight and live healthy, but I just don't make them."
Most of us make New Year's resolutions and many will keep them during the year while others will not. What is your resolution going to be?
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