New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

[Starlight Impress Forever]

Ughhhh..........it`s the whole concept of New Year Resolutions.........it just makes me want to throw up!!!!! :H

I don`t know from where this tradition originates, nor do I particularly care. I think we should boycott this crap. I mean, it`s ridiculous..........like some sort of mystical fanfare, eg..........I Starlight Impress Forever do solemnly swear ( :H ) that on 1/1/2010 I shall quit my beloved nicotine gum :H :H :H

NO!!!!!! To hell with New Year Resolutions..........whatever we wish to achieve, we`ll only do so when we`re good and ready, so please.........don`t anyone put themself under that kind of huge pressure...........only sets ourselves up for failure. Have faith.........if you wholeheartedly want to quit drinking/smoking/gambling........whatever..........quit you will, but as for Jan 1st..........is merely another day and no symbolic marker set in stone.

Happy New Year to you all,

Star x

[mario]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!



The History of New Year's Resolutions

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.

Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.

Ancient New Years

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, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.

Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.

The Romans continued to observe the New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun. In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

[mario]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

Chinese New Year

Except for a very few number of people who can keep track of when the Chinese New Year should be, the majority of the Chinese today have to rely on a typical Chinese calendar to tell it. Therefore, you cannot talk of the Chinese New Year without mentioning the Chinese calendar at first.

A Chinese calendar consists of both the Gregorian and lunar-solar systems, with the latter dividing a year into twelve month, each of which is in turn equally divided into thirty- nine and a half days. The well-coordinated dual system calendar reflects the Chinese ingenuity.

There is also a system that marks the years in a twelve-year cycle, naming each of them after an animal such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. People born in a particular year are believed to share some of the personalities of that particular animal.

The Sounds of Happy New Year

With the holiday season upon us, here's a list that's sure to be a tongue twister. See how Happy New Year is pronounced around the world.

Arabic: Kul 'aam u antum salimoun


Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo means "Good Parties and Happy New Year"


Chinese: Chu Shen Tan


Czechoslavakia: Scastny Novy Rok


Dutch: Gullukkig Niuw Jaar


Finnish: Onnellista Uutta Vuotta


French: Bonne Annee


German: Prosit Neujahr


Greek: Eftecheezmaenos o Kaenooryos hronos


Hebrew: L'Shannah Tovah Tikatevu


Hindi: Niya Saa Moobaarak


Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit


Italian: Buon Capodanno


Khmer: Sua Sdei tfnam tmei


Laotian: Sabai dee pee mai


Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku


Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo


Russian: S Novim Godom


Serbo-Croatian: Scecna nova godina


Spanish: Feliz Ano Neuvo or Prospero Ano Nuevo


Turkish: Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun


Vietnamese: Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan

Auld Lang Syne

The song, "Auld Lang Syne," is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English- speaking country in the world to bring in the New Year. In spite of the popularity of 'Auld Lang Syne', it has aptly been described as the song that nobody knows. Even in Scotland, hardly a gathering sings it correctly, without some members of the party butchering the words.

Written by Robert Burns in 1741, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."

Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

:goodjob: happy new year :goodjob:

[Lo0p]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

My biggest issue with New Years resolutions, is that it gives you an excuse to wait till the new year when you might be motivated right now!

[Kimberley]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

Starlight - I am going to use this NY as a chance to commit more thoroughly to being AF. I have had a horrible horrible year this year and it's not so much about finding the motivation as it is drawing the line under last year for me, writing it off and making a new beginning for myself in a new year and with new hope.

I had comitted to being AF but then had a massive setback with this and have kind of lost my way towards to end of the year. I won't be drinking now after putting myself into one of the worst withdrawals ever over the past couple of days - but I will be focussing on making 2010 my best shot yet at moving on, asking for the help I need, taking care of myself and making my recovery work.

2010 will be the year of doing things properly I hope and offloading the shameful moments of late 2009. Works for me.

[clare]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

in my personel opinion i think resolutions at this time of year,helps you get rid of the old bad habbits,its a starting point, and a time to let go of your past failures and start with a knew strenght.wish you luck kimberley

[cowgal]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

already started mine!

I see my lawyer Wed, just had a lengthy call w/ her......................am/already sorta have starting a new life, a good healthy and happy and free life!!!!! YAY, don't need to wait til New Years to do all this!!! New Years will still be fun, much much more fun than Xmas...............will be w/ friends, out dancing, AF!! YAY!!!! :yay: :happy: :wd:

much love.....................:l:h

MA

[hart]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

Star I agree most people make a resolution and what 60% I think won't make it. But heck hon, that's 40% that will, at least for a time. And I think anything that helps motivate one to make a needed change is a good thing. I mean, maybe someone will find a four leaf clover and take it as a sign, I don't care, as long as someone is trying, I'm in their corner.

Of course, I am saying this as I and Joe plan to go AF 1/1/10

[LVT25]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

My counselor suggested to me that I think of the things I want to do or change for myself as gifts to myself rather than "resolutions". It's more positive sounding.

I'm going to give myself the gift of taking better care of myself by eating right and exercising more.

[dancelot]

New Year Resolutions.........load of old bollocks!!!!

LVT25;781271 wrote: My counselor suggested to me that I think of the things I want to do or change for myself as gifts to myself rather than "resolutions". It's more positive sounding.

I'm going to give myself the gift of taking better care of myself by eating right and exercising more.

What a great way to say it - thanks for sharing!