Instead of asking, “What do I want to accomplish this year?” Christians might instead ask, “Who is God calling me to be this year?”
The beginning of January is the day many people traditionally decide to start new habits and embark on changes in their lives, albeit at times difficult. This is the story of that tradition…
year
A literal day is the time it takes for a planet to complete one revolution on its axis as it orbits the sun. A literal year is the time it takes the Earth to orbit the sun once. According to the Bible, literal days and literal years were created on the fourth day of creation when God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs and seasons and days and years” (Genesis 1:14-19).
Different planets have different days and years. Venus, which is closer to the Sun, rotates around the Earth’s axis very slowly, but rotates around the Sun very quickly, making a day longer than a year.
various new year
You can start the year at any time. This refers to the school year in which schools and universities reopen in September of each year. We talk about the UK financial year, which begins on April 6th (Old Women’s Day), and the legal new year, which begins on October 1st. Different cultures and religions start the year at different times.
jewish new year
The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashana, which means “beginning of the year.” It begins in early fall, on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (usually September). Since Tishri is counted as the seventh month, it seems that this is not the original New Year. One of the traditions is that it is the anniversary of the day God created Adam and Eve. Rosh Hashana begins with the blowing of the shofar, a ram’s horn used as a trumpet (Leviticus 23:24). Jewish families gather for traditional meals such as apples dipped in honey, symbolizing wishes for a sweet year, and pomegranates symbolizing hopes for a year filled with acts of charity. Then Rosh Hashanah begins 10 days of repentance.
ancient beginnings
A National Geographic article from December 27, 2024 explored the history of New Year’s resolutions. Long before the birth of Christ, ancient peoples used the turn of the year to make promises and vows. Babylonian records from around 4,000 years ago describe a New Year’s festival in which people pledged loyalty to the king, repaid their debts, and promised to return what they had borrowed. In other words, the new year was already seen as a time to put things right and start anew.
roman new year
The tradition of starting the calendar on January 1 dates back to Roman times. The Romans began the year with a month dedicated to the two-faced god Janus. One faced backwards, the other faced forward. The first month was named January after the month dedicated to Janus. Romans pledged good deeds and offered sacrifices at the beginning of the new year, as a kind of moral and spiritual “fresh start.” The Romans called the first day of each month the calendar or calendar, which is where the word calendar comes from.
church new year
Christians celebrate the Church New Year in different ways. The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar begins on September 1st, and the Ethiopian New Year, called Enktatash, begins on September 11th or, in leap years, September 12th.
For Catholics and Protestants, the liturgical new year begins on Advent Sunday in late November or early December.
In some Eastern Orthodox communities in Eastern Europe that celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar, the “lunar new year” is January 14th on the Gregorian calendar, which corresponds to January 1st on the Julian calendar.
Lady’s Day as New Year’s Day
In medieval Europe, ruled by the Catholic Church, the Feast of the Annunciation, or Mary’s Day, on March 25 was widely adopted as New Year’s Day. It was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest. When the calendar was revised to match the astronomical calendar, the new year was moved back to January 1st. This happened in Western Europe in 1582, in Scotland in 1600, and only in England in 1752. On the Scottish island of Hooray, the new year still falls on January 13th according to the Julian calendar.
resolution
As the gospel spread throughout the Roman world, Christians inherited this instinct to pause and look at situations. Early Christian sermons and catechisms emphasized repentance, examination of life, and obedience to Christ. The turn of the calendar year naturally became a moment to think about this.
By the 17th century, some Christians began to use the word “determination” explicitly for serious spiritual endeavors. It was popularized by New England American theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), who wrote a series of “Resolutions.” His commitments were personal commitments, such as seeking the glory of God and fighting sin, that were intended to shape his life before God. His resolution included living an earnest and solemn life without wasting time, and refraining from eating and drinking.
new year’s resolutions
The actual phrase “New Year’s resolutions” appears to have become common by the early 19th century. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, newspapers and magazines often published lists of proposed solutions.
These days, most New Year’s resolutions are personal. People make resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, go to the gym, spend less, travel more, learn a language, or develop a new hobby. Solutions are often abandoned within a few weeks. Monthly gym memberships are canceled, new bikes sit in storage, and Duolingo records disappear.
However, secular resolutions reflect older spiritual themes. The desire to forgive the past, have hope for the future, and make a fresh start is truly Christian. For Christians, new beginnings are found in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christian determination
Starting the new year on January 1st may be due to a calendar rooted in Roman paganism, but the principles of new beginnings, repenting of bad habits, and starting anew are entirely Christian.
Many Christians use the turn of the calendar year to renew their commitment to prayer, Bible reading, hospitality, and service. Our resolutions must be specific enough to be put into practice, yet humble enough to acknowledge our dependence on the Holy Spirit. Instead of simply asking, “What do I want to accomplish this year?” Christians can instead ask, “Who is God calling me to be this year?”
This article originally appeared on Christianity Today
