SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE WESTERNER

Blame it on the Babylonians

By Julie Carter

What do you know about the New Year’s celebration except that it is when you make resolutions you won’t keep?

Jan. 1 wasn’t always the day celebrated for New Years although the celebration is one of the oldest of holidays.

It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. Around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now Mar. 23. It made more sense in that it was the time of year that spring began and new crops were planted. Jan. 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical or agricultural significance.

The Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared Jan. 1 to be the beginning of the New Year and Julius Caesar did the same in 46 BC for the Julian calendar.

George Washington began the custom of holding a party on New Year's Day where everyone was welcome. This became known as having an "open house" and is still done in many places today.

Regional foods help welcome the New Year in various parts of America. In Pennsylvania Dutch country, eating sauerkraut on New Year's Day is said to bring good luck. In the South the custom is to eat black-eyed peas. More often now, people use Tylenol to cure their celebration pain.

Making resolutions on this first day of the New Year also dates back to the early Babylonians. While popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking, the Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

Here at the ranch, resolutions might include a solemn promise to never eat Brussels sprouts, tofu, skinless chicken breasts, spinach anything or fermented cabbage.

On the upside, a rural ranch dweller might dream of swearing off ice breaking, manure shoveling or any horse called Bronc. High on that dream list would be riding shorter days, sleeping longer nights. Next would be no dead cow skinning or pitchfork using and no work that requires a shovel or a mechanics tool box.

Of course all those dream resolutions come because the thought is-- if you are going to make yourself promises you can’t keep, may as well make big ones.

I would like to resolve to be more disciplined with my work, smile more often when I’d really rather not, and first look to find praise for someone or something before I find criticism. I would like to act better today than I thought possible yesterday and set a higher standard for tomorrow.

I resolve to not mention the words exercise, diet, or botox in the same sentence with my name. Health and beauty should be a natural daily process, not a resolution.

I will continue to remind myself that Jan. 1 is the day after Dec. 31 and the day before Jan. 2. Nothing more. I will strive to remember that everyday is a gift, tomorrow is never promised to us, and that the people in my life are precious. If they aren’t, then I need to look again.

I live an abundant blessed life and want to never fail to recognize that. But most of all I want to resolve to be resolute-- firm in purpose, belief and unshakeable determination.

May the year bring to you all of what you need and even some of what you want.

Julie can be reached for comment at jcarter@tularosa.net

© Julie Carter 2005