How it all began......
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, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring). The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days!
The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. It is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
January 1st officially became the first day of a new year in 46 B.C. when Julius Caesar established the Julian Calendar.
The tradition of New Year's resolutions also started with the ancient Babylonians. The early Babylonian's resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment in order to start the new year off with a clean slate.
2 comments:
so the tradition is not to celebrate, get drunk and make noise. It is to return a borrowed rake from a neighbor?! That aint fun!
I think you missed the part that they celebrated for eleven days! I believe they returned the rake on day one and then celebrated "the return" for the remaining 10 days! with jello shots, champagne, and bellinis.
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