Kuhns

Preparing for the New Year

History of New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are anything but new. For many, setting resolutions signify the start of the new year just as much as watching the ball drop in Time Square. However, the practice of creating resolutions is ancient, and dates back to the Babylonians in 2000 B.C. Back then, the Babylonians celebrated the new year with a festival called Akitu which began on the first day of spring and lasted 12 days. As this was the beginning of planting season, one of their resolutions was to return borrowed farm equipment.

Eventually the idea of a new year and resolutions was adopted by the ancient Romans. They made January 1st the beginning of the new year with the implementation of the Julian calendar. The Romans named January after the two-faced God Janus who was able to look backward for reflection as well as forward to new beginnings. As guardian of the gates and doors, Janus presided over the temple of peace. The temple doors were open only during wartime and it was a place of safety where resolutions and new beginnings could be made.

New Year’s resolutions were also popular with Medieval Knights during the Middle Ages. By placing their hands on a peacock, knights would renew their chivalrous vow. This “Peacock Vow” would occur at the end of year to signify a resolution to continue their knightly duties. The tradition of setting resolutions continued to grow and by the beginning of the 19th century it became so common that people would make, and then break, these resolutions that the practice began to be ridiculed. In 1813 an unknown writer was the first to use the phrase New Year’s resolution in print in a January 1st Boston newspaper article titled “The Friday Lecture.”

How to Keep Your Resolutions

As years have passed people continue to make resolutions. While our goals may be more focused on self-improvement than they have been in Medieval times, one thing remains the same – it’s hard to maintain those resolutions. If you have made a promise to yourself to start fresh in 2024, here are a few ways you can set and achieve those New Year’s resolutions.

Avoid negative wording such as stopping or quitting. You can say “I want to cook more meals at home” instead of “I want to stop getting take-out.” If this task still seems overwhelming, start out small and check out our selection of prepared foods. We have great ready made options and sides that you can add to make a complete meal.

Select a goal that is important to you. Don’t choose something because that is what you think you “should” be doing. If you want to increase your vegetable intake, you can say “I want to eat more interesting salads.” Then, visit our produce department and choose from avocados, mushrooms, walnuts, endive lettuce, snap peas, and more!

Make sure your goal is realistic and is time-bound. Create a monthly plan rather than one for the whole year. Instead of saying “I want to clean and organize my house”, pick one room to do each month. Our household department has a variety of items to help you start (and keep) your year fresh and clean.

Create a goal that is measurable and specific. Writing down “I want to save money” is vague. But changing that to “I’m going to save $20 each week” is specific. Make sure to check out our dollar aisle when preparing your shopping list. From hand soap to snacks, we can help you get what you need at an affordable price.

We all want a chance to wipe the slate clean and start the new year off right. By keeping your resolutions simple and tracking your progress you can not only achieve those goals, but maintain them throughout the year. Stop by your favorite location today and see how we can help. From all of us at Kuhn’s Market, Happy New Year!