The Celebration Began As The Feast Of The Roman God Janus
It’s another New Year! As I reminisce back at 2016 and look forward to 2017, I am constantly reminded of the importance of time and space upon our lives. In modern society, time and space governs our lives seamlessly.
Time and space are part and parcel to our lives, yet if we think of the way things used to be hundreds and even thousands of years ago, we can gain an appreciation of how our ancestors discovered the vital importance of chronicling the year, and in turn the significance of the new year.
“The ancients understood the importance of tracking an annual cycle. The gatherers needed to know the best time of the year to source grains, plants, vegetables and fruit that maintained their lives. Hunters needed to under-stand the migration and life cycles of wild beasts, birds and fish so they could assure a successful hunt. Then later, as agrarians they needed to know when to plant and when to harvest. In Northern climates, it was essential that our ancestors had stockpiled plenty of food to sustain during the winters”.
It’s clear that over the long run, basing the calendar upon lunar cycles would not serve the necessity of annual precision. Early record-keepers realized a more predictable and accurate calendar would be based upon the seasonal cycle of the sun.
It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to make New Year’s Resolutions, and people all over the world have been breaking them ever since. The early Christians believed the first day of the new year should be spent reflecting on past mistakes and resolving to improve oneself in the new year.