Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Welcome to the new edition of the OTC Blog.
It's a new year... and with that comes resolutions. Have you ever wondered how it all started? We've uncovered some fun facts about the history of this annual tradition.
The people made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.
The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus for whom the month of January is namedWe thank you for joining our adventure on behalf of Rachel and me. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.
In the medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.
At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions. In Methodist Christianity, the liturgy used for the watchnight service for the New Year is the Covenant Renewal Service; in addition to being traditionally held on New Year's Eve, many churches offer the Covenant Renewal Service on both New Year's Eve and on the morning of New Year's Day.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the tendency of people to make (and fail to keep) resolutions was commonly known and satirized.
An early instance of the complete phrase "new year resolution" is found in a January 1st issue of a Boston newspaper from 1813.
At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Year's resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did.
In a 2014 report, 35% of participants who failed their New Year's Resolutions admitted they had unrealistic goals, 33% of participants did not keep track of their progress, and 23% forgot about them; about one in 10 respondents claimed they made too many resolutions.
So.. what New Year's Resolutions have you made this year?
We thank you for joining our adventure on behalf of Rachel and me. Until next time, fare thee well, friends.
*** References[edit]
^ Rössner, S. M.; Hansen, J. V.; Rössner, S. (February 2011). "New Year's Resolutions to Lose Weight – Dreams and Reality". Obesity Facts. 4 (1): 3–5. doi:10.1159/000324861. PMC 6444530. PMID 21372604.
^ Lennox, Doug (2007). Now You Know Big Book of Answers one of the amazing thing. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-55002-741-9.
^ Julia Jasmine (1998). Multicultural Holidays. Teacher Created Resources. p. 116. ISBN 1-55734-615-1.
^ Lennox, Doug (2007). Now You Know Big Book of Answers. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-55002-741-9.
^ Jump up to:a b James Ewing Ritchie (1870). The Religious Life of London. Tinsley Brothers. p. 223. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
^ "Watch Night Service". The United Methodist Church. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
^ Jump up to:a b c d "New Year's Resolutions: A Pretty Old Practice". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
^ "New Years Resolution Statistics - Statistic Brain". statisticbrain.com. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
^ Norcross, JC, Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 58(4), 397-405, 2002
^ Norcross, JC, Mrykalo, MS, Blagys, MD, J. Clin. Psych. 58: 397-405. 2009
^ Hutchison, Michelle (29 December 2014). "Bunch of failures or just optimistic? finder.com.au New Year's Resolution Study shows New Year novelty fizzles fast - finder.com.au". finder.com.au. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
^ Lehrer, Jonah (December 26, 2009). "Blame It on the Brain". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660.