2011-12

This January why not be two
faced!
As far as we can tell New Year’s
Resolutions can be traced back
to the Babylonian empire of about
4000 BC when on New Year’s Day
– then March 23rd – people would
return things they had borrowed
earlier in the year.
I suppose it was a form of
amnesty for all the things that you
had asked to borrow and then
had kept for so long that you were
afraid to return them hoping that
the original owner had forgotten
who they had lent it to. If you had
borrowed, for example, a tool from
your neighbours you could return
it, no questions asked. It must have
been great to wake up on New
Years day morning to find, on your
doorstep, all the things you had
forgotten you had loaned out during
the past 12 months.
Much later the Roman god Janus
who was a popular figure – so we
are told – around 150 BC came to
represent New Year’s Resolutions.
When the Romans invented their
solar calendar, to more closely
reflect the seasons, they named
the first month after Janus – to this
day the name for our first month still
reflects this.
The interesting thing about Janus
is that he is often depicted with two
faces one looking back to the past
and the other one looking forward
to the future. That is why in Roman
times Janus’s double headed image
was used as a symbol of change
and forgiveness.
The New Year’s Day Festival was
a time to seek forgiveness from
people you had wronged and to look
forward to forging new friendships.
Over time New Year changed to
being a time when we would commit
to being a better person in some
shape or other. A time when we can
reflect on the person we feel we
should be and try and become more
like that person. I suppose it helps
that New Year’s Day comes after a
time of feasting with the Christmas
period and then New Year’s Eve
coming so close together, that
sometimes one does overdo it a
little and feel the need for change.
Interestingly the top ten New
Year’s resolutions are evenly
balanced between giving things up
and doing things better. Resolutions
such as, stop smoking, don’t eat
so much, quit drinking, don’t be so
lazy and spend less are balanced
by more positive resolutions such as
enjoy life more, be more organised,
have a better work/life balance, be a
better person and help people more.
So don’t wait for this New Year
to make a resolution to be a better
person. There is no time like the
present so decide how you would
like to change, tell someone about
it so that you can be accountable
to someone and then do it
immediately. Now who did I borrow
that book from, and the three CDs
and the hedge clippers not to
mention the lawn mower and the ...
Steve Winks
New Year’s Resolutions
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Church Offices: 15 Camping Lane, Sheffield S8 0GB
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
Page 15
email: office@stchads.org
website: www.stchads.org