New year, new you at CCWF

Every year, on the first day of the new calendar year, people all around the world bring in the new year by committing themselves to a “New Year’s resolution” to either break a bad habit or to start good ones. Even here in Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF), the residents excitedly chatted away about their upcoming New Year’s resolutions and the possibility of positive self-change.

Observing this phenomenon, I had to wonder: where did this tradition of a New Years resolution originate from? And why have so many generations of people believed and practiced this ritual every year. What does it signify for them?

It is amazing how far the tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back. According to the New World Encyclopedia, it originated approximately 4,000 years ago, with the ancient Babylonians. Babylon was the capital of Babylonia, a powerful empire located in southwestern Asia, known for its wealth and wickedness. They held a festival called Akitu to mark the spring harvest, which later changed to the new year under different rulers. During Akitu, the Babylonians made promises to their gods to return borrowed items and pay off debts, believing this would bring good fortune for the new year ahead.

The Romans later adapted this custom, centering resolutions around Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings after whom the month January is named. They believed Janus symbolically looked backward into the past year and forward into the future, encouraging people to reflect and set intentions. What we call the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end).

Today, New Year’s resolutions are typically personal goals or career aspirations. The average person won’t have to consult the latest report from the Pew Research Center on resolutions to know that most common trends are weight loss, eating better, vowing to stop smoking, and so on.

So many people pursue these resolutions as a way to start fresh, motivated by the symbolism of a new year as an opportunity for change and growth. I believe this traditional practice persists because it aligns with human desires for self-betterment and provides a structured way to create new habits.

People bring in the new year in so many different ways. Some people hold private gatherings. Others travel across the country to watch the ball drop in New York. Friends, family, and sweethearts believe in a tradition that if you kiss the ones you love at exactly midnight, it will bring in the new year with prosperity, love, and good health.

Many of the people I talked to at CCWF learned to practice New Year’s resolutions close to home. Some people grew up believing that the new year was meant for a new start. Compton native Shante Harrell, though, explained that even though she grew up believing in New Year’s resolutions, she has come to realize that she doesn’t need a certain day of the year to commit to a positive change.

Resident Porché Wright also learned the practice from family.

“Both my mother and fathers’ side of the family have always brought in the New Year with New Year’s resolutions,” Wright said. “My family always sets short- and long-term goals. Collectively, we would sit around and write down our resolutions, place them onto the refrigerator door as a reminder to ourselves and other family members of the goals we set for ourselves.”

Residents with ties to other countries shared their cultures’ unique ways.

“In my culture, we pack a suitcase with some personal belongings and sit it outside the door of the house, signifying we are going to travel and go to new places,” stated Elizabeth Lozano, a contributing writer who is from Mexico. “I did it last year and I am doing it again this year and I truly believe I am next,” she said, referring to her hopeful release.

Resident Janalisa Estrada, who is Phillipino said, “Every new year, my family gathers around a fruit bowl with 12 different fruits inside from our island representing the next 12 months to signify abundance and prosperity. The adults would throw money into the air for the kids to jump up and catch it for prosperity and growth.”

Here is some food for thought: If you are prone to setting goals or have never had a new year’s resolution, maybe it is time to give some thought to starting the new year off with new goals in mind, self-improvement, better eating habits, or creating the best version of yourself. Some people cannot quite remember the traditions they celebrated practiced in their family/culture or maybe they never had any. Could it be that it is time to create your own traditions, beginning with this new year?