Written by: Lillian Grissom  

      New Year’s is not just a time for a new number on a calendar, it sparks a new beginning. For many, it’s an opportunity to make a change. It is time to use all the things we’ve done wrong in the past year, and make it right for this one. Why do we use the new year as a time to do this, where did it originate, and do people still follow this tradition? 

       Going back 4,000 years ago, religions from across the world used this time to hold celebrations and festivals to their Gods. They gave thanks for the new year and made promises of positive change. Slowly this practice integrated into religions like christianity, where people followed it by writing down detailed resolutions for the new year. 

       In modern day, the new year is still being used by people to promote change, but they are not always followed. People use it more lightly though. Most people who create New Year’s resolutions do not follow them year round. Most students feel that this tradition isn’t as important as it used to be. 

       “The new year is known as the great reset of the year,” said junior Abagale Elliott. “I have never found January any different than any other month. Most people say that they will start new good habits, such as going to the gym or vacuuming more often. More often than not a person will declare that they will stop smoking or drinking. What I have a problem with is the lack of preparation that goes into these goals. It is hard to stop yourself from falling into the failed resolution category when you decide you are going to change. For the majority of people, nothing that a person decides with little planning is going to last that long. Under certain circumstances such as a person’s reinvention of themself the new year would be stressful. I find it smarter and better in the long run to put less stress on myself towards the beginning of the year rather than stressing myself out about the big year of 2026 in the first week. Overall, ‘New Year, New Me’ hurts you in the long run, and stressing yourself out about what you eat and what you wear for a week is damaging to the potential of the rest of the new year. Instead of pretending to be someone else after the clock hits midnight, try to improve overtime like you would any other day of the year.” 

       Many students agree with this statement: these resolutions are not commonly followed, don’t last long, and can be seen as an outdated practice. However, there are still students who follow this tradition, and can have a positive outlook on this tradition. 

“I think it is important for people to start the year off with goals for themselves, New Year’s resolutions are a great way to get this done,” said freshman Claire Schmaltz. “If people can make these resolutions at the start of the year they will be more prone to achieving their goals. Studies have also shown that if you make your goals more specific you might be more likely to complete them. An example of this would be instead of saying ‘I want to spend less time looking at my phone.’ You can say, ‘I want to cut my screen time down by a third.’ By setting these resolutions, we give ourselves the opportunity to grow and become better people coming into the new year.” 

Schmaltz highlighted the importance and value of this tradition, while also providing a good example as to how modern society affects what we define as a “New Year resolution.” 

     Overall, there can be benefits and downsides in following this tradition. It is important to follow what you are comfortable with, no matter the date. If you want to get out more, change habits, etc., go for it! You are in charge of your life. You don’t need to wait until the new year to change your life, you just need to start.

As Mrs. Spaulding always says, “It’s on you to get you where you need to be.”