Welcome
to our fun facts cornucopia, where you'll find a little bit of everything related
to New Years Resolutions. If you've ever wondered how the new year is celebrated
in Belgium, you've come to the right place. If you want to find out how Happy
New Year is pronounced in Italian, you'll find out here. If you are interested
in the learning about the history of new years resolutions, we'll tell you all
about it.
The History of New Year's Resolutions
The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes
all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at
the head of the calendar.
With two faces, Janus
could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient
symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies
and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.
The
New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date
everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day
solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when
Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons
than previous calendars had.
The Romans named the
first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of
doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of
his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same
time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the
old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts
on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune.
Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's
gifts.
In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New
Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25,
a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII
revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned
to January 1.
The Julian and Gregorian calendars
are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a
lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases
of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time
of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime
between January 19 and February 21.
Although the
date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time
for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.
Ancient
New Years
The celebration of the New Year is
the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000
years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of
a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.
Late March actually is a logical choice for the
beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops
are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural
significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian
New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode
of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale
in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the
New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various
emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January
1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar,
in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again
established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar
with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
January
1st Birthdays in History
Here's a list of
lucky people who celebrate the New Year and their birthday at the same time.
January
1, 1975 Becky Kellar, ice hockey defenseman, Canada, 1998 Olympics January
1, 1975 Chris Anstey, NBA center, Dallas Mavericks January 1, 1974 Johnie
Church, NFL defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks January 1, 1973 Clyde Wijnhard,
soccer player, Ajax, RKC January 1, 1973 Fang Li, Hunan China, tennis star,
1991 Futures-Bilbao-ESP January 1, 1973 Justin Armour, NFL wide receiver for
the Buffalo Bills January 1, 1973 Mercury Hayes, wide receiver for the Atlanta
Falcons January 1, 1972 Barron Miles, NFL def back for the Pittsburgh Steelers/WLAF
corner, Frankfurt January 1, 1972 Ivan Droppa, hockey defenseman, Team Slovakia
1998 January 1, 1971 Beno Bryant, WLAF running back for the Amsterdam Admirals
January 1, 1971 Bobby Holik, Jihlava Cze, NHL left wing, New Jersey Devils, Team
Czech Rep January 1, 1971 Bridget Pettis, WNBA guard, Phoenix Mercury
January 1, 1971 Kevin Lee, NFL wide receiver for the New England Patriots
January 1, 1971 Kevin Mitchell, NFL linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
January 1, 1970 Brian Morton, Wollongong Australia, canoeist 1996 Olympics
January 1, 1970 Tom Sier, soccer player, South Carolina Heerenveen January
1, 1970 Vadim Glovatskiy, hockey defenseman, Team Kazakhstan Oly-1998 January
1, 1969 Morris Chestnut, actor, Boyz N the Hood January 1, 1969 Reemt Pyka,
Bremerhaven GER, hockey forward, Team Germany January 1, 1968 John de Visser,
soccer player, South Carolina Heerenveen January 1, 1968 Sandy Beasley, Richmond
BC, softball outfielder 1996 Olympics January 1, 1967 Andy Heck, NFL tackle,
Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears January 1, 1967 Derrick Thomas, NFL linebacker
for the Kansas City Chiefs January 1, 1966 Mika Nieminen, Tampere FIN, hockey
forward, Team Finland, Oly-br-1998 January 1, 1966 Rawley Valberde, Oceanside
California, actor, Amado-Santa Barbara January 1, 1965 Andrew O Valmon, born
in Brooklyn, New York, 400m runner January 1, 1965 Harry Galbreath, NFL guard
for the Green Bay Packers January 1, 1965 Mark Dewey, U.S. baseball player,
Pittsburgh Pirates January 1, 1964 DeDee Pfeiffer, actress, Cybill January
1, 1963 Glenn Trimble, cricketer, son of Sam Two ODI's for Australia 1986
January 1, 1963 Lance Smith, NFL guard for the New York Giants January 1,
1962 Ravshanbek Aliyev, Kirgiz, cosmonaut January 1, 1961 Irv Eatman, NFL
tackle for the Houston Oilers January 1, 1961 Marcia Cross, actress, Melrose
Place January 1, 1960 Michael David Morrison, actor, Caleb Snyder-As the World
Turns January 1, 1959 Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghanistan, cosmonaut, Soyuz TM-6
January 1, 1958 Grandmaster Flash, [Joseph Saddler], New York City, rocker, Message
January 1, 1958 Ren Woods, born in Portland, Oregon, actress, Fanta-Roots
January 1, 1956 Anatoli Borisovich Polonsky, Russia, Lt-colonel/cosmonaut
January 1, 1956 Sergei Vasiliyevich Avdeyev, Russian cosmonaut, Soyuz TM-15, SK:TM-28
January 1, 1955 Michael James Sullivan, born in Gary, Indiana, PGA golfer, 1980
Southern Open January 1, 1954 Fr David, Paris, France, rocker January
1, 1953 Alpha Blondy, [Seydou Kone], Ivory coast, reggae singer, Jerusalem
January 1, 1953 Kevin Hangon, composer January 1, 1953 Rochelle S Abramson,
violinist January 1, 1951 Frans Kellendonk, author, Ruin, The Good for Nothing
January 1, 1951 Jaco Pastorius, rocker January 1, 1950 Morgan Fisher, rock
keyboardist, British Lions January 1, 1950 Svetlana Georgievna Beregovkina,
Russia, cosmonaut January 1, 1950 Yevgeni Vladimirovich Saley, cosmonaut
January 1, 1949 Nikolai Tikhonovich Moskalenko, Russia, cosmonaut January
1, 1949 Peter Dormer, arts writer January 1, 1947 Alexei Ivanovich Bobrov,
Russia, cosmonaut January 1, 1947 Gary "BB" Coleman, blues vocal/guitarist/producer
January 1, 1947 Peter Lankhorst, Dutch MP, PPR January 1, 1947 Vladimir Georgiyevich
Titov, Rus cosmonaut, Soyuz T-8, TM-4, STS 63 January 1, 1947 Jon Corzine,
American Politician January 1, 1946 Manfred Stengl, Austria, 2 man lugist
1960 Olympics gold January 1, 1945 Jacques Ickx, Belgium, Le Mans auto race,
6-time winner January 1, 1944 Charlie Davis, cricketer, WI batsman in 15 Tests
1968-73 January 1, 1943 Jerilyn Britz, Minnesota, LPGA golfer, 1979 U.S. Women's
Open January 1, 1942 Country Joe McDonald, California, rock guitarist and
vocalist, & the Fish January 1, 1942 Don Novello, [Father Guido Sarducci],
Ashtabula, Ohio, comedian, SNL January 1, 1942 Gennadi Vassilyevich Sarafanov,
U.S.S.R., cosmonaut, Soyuz 15 January 1, 1942 George Couroupos, composer
January 1, 1942 Martin Frost, Rep-D-TX, 1971- January 1, 1940 Frank Langella,
Bayonne, New Jersey, actor, Dracula, Diary of a Mad Housewife January 1, 1940
Jack Kiefer, Columbia, Pennsylvania, PGA golfer, 1994 Ralphs Senior Classic
January 1, 1940 Laszlo Sary, composer January 1, 1940 Richard Henry Orton,
composer January 1, 1938 Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Queen of Netherlands,
1980- January 1, 1938 Bill Emerson, Rep-R-MO, 1981- January 1, 1936 Eve
Queler, New York City, conductor January 1, 1936 Willye B White, U.S. jumper,
Olympics-silver-1956 January 1, 1935 Harold Martina, Netherland Antilles,
pianist/conductor January 1, 1935 Valentin Nikolaevich N Benderov, Russia,
cosmonaut January 1, 1933 Anders Bo Leif Linde, composer January 1, 1933
James A Abrahamson, USAF/astronaut January 1, 1933 Joe Orton, England, actor/dramatist,
Prick Up Your Ears January 1, 1932 Arnfried G D P, Dutch manufacturer, breadcrumbs,
/drugs dealer January 1, 1931 Carel Brons, composer January 1, 1931 Siddig
El Nigoumi, ceramicist January 1, 1930 Gaafar Muhammad Nimeiry, premier/president,
Sudan January 1, 1930 Werner Heiden, composer January 1, 1929 Holling
Gustav Vapor, character on Northern Exposure January 1, 1928 Ernest R Tidyman,
Ohio, novelist/screenwriter, French Connection January 1, 1928 Khan Mohammad,
cricketer, Paki fast-med bowler, 54 wkts in 13 Tests January 1, 1927 Barbara
Baxley, Stockton California, actress, Norma Rae, Countdown January 1, 1927
Juliusz Luciuk, composer January 1, 1927 Maurice Bejart, France, ballet choreographer,
Rite of Spring January 1, 1927 Yuri Grigorovich, Leningrad, choreographer
January 1, 1926 Claire Polin [Schaff], composer flautist/musicologist January
1, 1925 George Conner, NFL tackle, linebacker for the Chicago Bears January
1, 1925 Valentina Cortesa, Milan Italy, actress, Kidnap Syndicate January
1, 1923 Chalmers Goodlin, U.S. test pilot, XS-1 January 1, 1923 Milton Jackson,
U.S., vibraphonist, Milt of Bags January 1, 1922 Ernest F. Hollings, Sen-D-SC,
1966- January 1, 1921 Alain Mimoun O'Kacha, Algerian/French cross country,
Oly-gold-1956 January 1, 1920 Elisabeth Andersen, [Anna de Bruyn], Dutch actress,
Yerma, Titania January 1, 1920 Roger Peacock, writer January 1, 1919 Bernard
Drukker, Dutch organist/pianist/orch leader, Devil's Wheel January 1, 1919
Carole Landis, Fairchild WI, actress, One Million BC, Topper Returns January
1, 1919 J. D. Salinger, American Novelist, Catcher in the Rye January 1, 1918
Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer, WR 100m, 1:04.06 January 1, 1916 Earl Wrightson,
Maryland, singer, Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue January 1, 1915 Francois
Bondy, writer January 1, 1915 Lewis Bingham Keeble, town planner January
1, 1913 Eliot Janeway, financial writer, Economics of Chaos January 1, 1912
Kim Philby, British spy/Soviet mole January 1, 1912 Victor Reuther, Wheeling,
West Virginia, labor leader January 1, 1911 Hank Greenberg, Hall-of-Fame 1st
baseman, Detroit Tiger January 1, 1910 Russ Bender, actor and writer, Amazing
Colossal Man, Space Monster January 1, 1909 Barry Goldwater, Sen-R-Az, 1953-65,
69-, President candidate, R, 1964 January 1, 1909 D. D. Hindlekar, cricketer,
Indian batsman and wicket-keeper 1936-46 January 1, 1909 Dana Andrews, Collins
Mississippi, actor, Battle of the Bulge, Laura January 1, 1908 Kinue Hitoma,
Japan, 800m runner, Oly-silver-1928 January 1, 1907 Erich Schmid, composer
January 1, 1906 Frank Stack, Canada, speed skater, Olympic-bronze-1932 January
1, 1905 Melvin Price, Rep-D-IL, 1945- January 1, 1902 Buster Nupen, cricketer,
1-eyed South African quick, great on matting January 1, 1902 Dimiter Nenov,
composer January 1, 1901 Christine WI Wittewaall van Stoetwegen, Dutch MP,
CDD January 1, 1900 Hubert van Doorne, Dutch auto manufacturer, DAF January
1, 1900 William Haines, Staunton, Virginia, actor, Fast Life, Little Annie Rooney
January 1, 1900 Xavier Cugat, born in Spain, bandleader, married Abbe Lane, Charo
January 1, 1899 Juozas Tallat-Kelpsa, composer January 1, 1899 Lev V Kuleshov,
Russian director/theorist, Po Zakonu January 1, 1899 Raymond Loucheur, composer
January 1, 1898 George van Derton, Belgian January 1, 1898 George van Derton,
Belgian racer, won 500 race January 1, 1898 Viktor Ullmann, opera composer,
Der Kaiser von Atlantis January 1, 1897 Walter Greaza, St. Paul, Minnesota,
actor, Martin Kane Private Eye January 1, 1896 Maurice Jacobson, composer
January 1, 1896 Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japans actor and director, Jujiro, Jigoku-mon
January 1, 1896 Yitzhak Edel, composer January 1, 1895 Nathaniel Shilkret,
New York City, conductor January 1, 1895 J. Edgar Hoover, American Public
Servant January 1, 1892 Artur Rodzinski, Spalato, Dalmatia, Poland, conductor/composer
January 1, 1892 Manuel Roxas y Acuna, 1st president Philippines January 1,
1892 Miklos Radnai, composer January 1, 1891 Frank Pettingell, Liverpool England,
actor, Gaslight, Goose Steps Out January 1, 1890 Florence Lawrence, Hamilton
Ont, silent screen actress, Confidence January 1, 1889 Alexander Smallens,
St. Petersburg, Russia, conductor January 1, 1889 Charles Bickford, Cambridge
Massachusetts, actor, John-The Virginian January 1, 1889 Tadeusz Jarecki,
composer January 1, 1889 Tom Dugan, Dublin Ireland, actor, Circus Clown, Drag,
Skyway January 1, 1887 Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral/head German military
intelligence January 1, 1885 Roland Diggle, composer January 1, 1883 Federigo
Tozzi, Italian writer/journalist, La Torre, Tre Croci January 1, 1883 [Hei]ko
E Arnoldi, Dutch actor, 3 Drops of Water, /theater director January 1, 1882
W C Wendelaar, mayor of Alkmaar, 1919-34, /Dutch MP, VVD January 1, 1881 Carry
van Bridges, [de Haan], Dutch author, Heleen, Eva January 1, 1880 Edie Martin,
born in London, England, actress, Titfield Thunderbolt January 1, 1880 Shalom
Asch, Poland, yiddish writer, Motke Ganev January 1, 1879 Edward M Forster,
England, novelist, Howards End, Passage to India January 1, 1879 Emile Argand,
Swiss geologist, Dekbladen Theory January 1, 1879 Ernest Jones, British psychoanalyst,
Life and Work of Sigmund Freud January 1, 1879 William Fox, U.S. film pioneer,
Nickelodeon January 1, 1879 Edward M. Forster, English Novelist January
1, 1878 Edwin Franko Goldman, composer January 1, 1878 Francois Ambrosiny,
French dancer/choreograph, L'oiseau enchante January 1, 1876 Johan C Altorf,
sculptor, October 3rd monument January 1, 1875 Charles Rist, French economist
January 1, 1875 N F Druce, cricketer, 5 Tests for England vs. Australia 1897-98
January 1, 1874 Hugo Leichtentritt, composer January 1, 1873 Mariano Azuela,
Mexico, novelist, The Flies, The Bosses January 1, 1869 Louis EJM de la Vallee-Poussin,
Belgian indologist January 1, 1867 Charles Edward Montague, English author/critic,
Fiery Particles January 1, 1867 Lew Fields, comedian, of Weber and Fields
January 1, 1865 Giuseppe Ferrata, composer January 1, 1864 Alfred Stieglitz,
U.S. photographer/art dealer, Camera Work January 1, 1863 Aleko Konstantinov,
Bulgarian writer, To Chicago and Back January 1, 1863 Pierre de Coubertin,
France, baron, revived Olympic games January 1, 1862 Snitz Edwards, Hungary,
actor, College, Phantom of the Opera January 1, 1854 James Frazer, Britain,
anthropologist/author, The Golden Bough January 1, 1853 Hans Koessler, composer
January 1, 1846 Nikola Pasic, Serbian nationalist/premier, 1891..1926 January
1, 1843 Nikolay Nikolayevich Lodizhensky, composer January 1, 1838 William
Hugh Young, Brig General Confederate Army, died in 1901 January 1, 1831 William
Joseph Westbrook, composer January 1, 1827 William Lewis "Old Tige"
Cabell, Brig General Confederate Army January 1, 1819 Arthur Hugh Clough,
poet, friend of Matthew Arnold January 1, 1819 George Foster Shepley, Brig
General Union volunteers, died in 1878 January 1, 1817 Martin H Klaproth,
Germany, chemist January 1, 1815 Charles Renouvier, French philosopher, neocriticism
January 1, 1809 John Pieter Heije, Dutch physician/writer/poet, Silver Fleet
January 1, 1800 Sydney Nelson, composer January 1, 1800 Vaclav Horak, composer
January 1, 1792 Henrik A Bjerregaard, Norwegian writer/poet, Sonner af Norge
January 1, 1784 William Beale, composer January 1, 1777 Micah Hawkins, composer
January 1, 1764 John Kinker, Dutch linguist/philosopher/poet, Minderjarige Zangster
January 1, 1752 Elizabeth Griscom, Betsy, Ross, flag maker January 1, 1748
Giovanni Furno, composer January 1, 1745 "Mad" Anthony Wayne, general
January 1, 1735 Paul Revere, silversmith/US patriot, British are coming January
1, 1734 John F E Acton, cruel premier of Naples January 1, 1729 Edmund Burke,
British author, Philosophy and Inquiry January 1, 1723 Christian Friedrich
Gregor, composer January 1, 1714 Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lutheran pastor,
Lithuanian poet, The Seas January 1, 1709 Johann H H Butz, German/Dutch organ
builder January 1, 1697 Johann Pfeiffer, composer January 1, 1652 Johann
Krieger, composer January 1, 1638 Antoinette du Ligier de la Guard Deshoulieres,
French poet/playwright January 1, 1628 Christoph Bernhard, German composer
January 1, 1622 Isaac Sweers, Dutch Admiral/general/Civil rights activist
January 1, 1618 Bartolome Esteban Murillo, Spain, Baroque artist [baptized]
January 1, 1520 Franciscus Balduinus, [Francois Baudouin], lawyer January
1, 1504 Caspar Cruciger, German church reformer January 1, 1481 Huldrych Zwingli,
Swiss Protestant reformer January 1, 1467 Sigismund I, the old, king of Poland
January 1, 1449 Lorenzo de'Medici, [The Magnificent] of Florence January 1,
1431 Alexander VI [Rodrigo Borgia], Spanish/Italian pope, 1492-1503 January
1, 1387 Charles, The Angry One, king of Navarra, 1349-87 January 1, 379 Basilius,
the Great, of Caesarea, holyman, Moralia
Chinese
New Year
Except for a very few number of people
who can keep track of when the Chinese New Year should be, the majority of the
Chinese today have to rely on a typical Chinese calendar to tell it. Therefore,
you cannot talk of the Chinese New Year without mentioning the Chinese calendar
at first.
A Chinese calendar consists of both the
Gregorian and lunar-solar systems, with the latter dividing a year into twelve
month, each of which is in turn equally divided into thirty- nine and a half days.
The well-coordinated dual system calendar reflects the Chinese ingenuity.
There
is also a system that marks the years in a twelve-year cycle, naming each of them
after an animal such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey,
Rooster, Dog and Boar. People born in a particular year are believed to share
some of the personalities of that particular animal.
The
Sounds of Happy New Year
With the holiday
season upon us, here's a list that's sure to be a tongue twister. See how Happy
New Year is pronounced around the world.
Arabic:
Kul 'aam u antum salimoun
Brazilian:
Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo means "Good Parties and Happy New Year"
Chinese: Chu Shen Tan
Czechoslavakia:
Scastny Novy Rok
Dutch: Gullukkig
Niuw Jaar
Finnish: Onnellista
Uutta Vuotta
French: Bonne
Annee
German: Prosit Neujahr
Greek: Eftecheezmaenos o Kaenooryos
hronos
Hebrew: L'Shannah Tovah
Tikatevu
Hindi: Niya Saa Moobaarak
Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua fe mhaise
dhuit
Italian: Buon Capodanno
Khmer: Sua Sdei tfnam tmei
Laotian: Sabai dee pee mai
Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo
Russian: S Novim Godom
Serbo-Croatian:
Scecna nova godina
Spanish:
Feliz Ano Neuvo or Prospero Ano Nuevo
Turkish:
Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Vietnamese:
Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan
Auld Lang
Syne
The song, "Auld Lang Syne," is sung
at the stroke of midnight in almost every English- speaking country in the world
to bring in the New Year. In spite of the popularity of 'Auld Lang Syne', it has
aptly been described as the song that nobody knows. Even in Scotland, hardly a
gathering sings it correctly, without some members of the party butchering the
words.
Written by Robert Burns in 1741, it was first
published in 1796 after Burns' death. "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long
ago," or simply, "the good old days."
Auld Lang
Syne by Robert Burns
Should auld
acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance
be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
For auld
lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne, We'll take a cup o' kindness
yet For auld lang syne
We twa hae run aboot
the braes And pou'd the gowans fine; we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne
We two hae paidled i' the
burn, Frae mornin' sun till dine; But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne
And here's a hand, my trusty
friend, And gie's a hand o' thine; We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and
days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne, We'll take a cup o' kindness yet For auld lang
syne
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a single resolution can positively and profoundly create lasting change in your
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