The holiday season brings festive family gatherings, good food, and exciting football games and then, like an unexpected guest, those pesky New Year’s resolutions.
The concept of recognizing a new year and making promises goes back at least to the Babylonians. The Babylonians were an ancient Akkadian-speaking people based in central-southern Mesopotamia, which is present-day Iraq.
The Babylonians made promises to their gods at the beginning of each year, pledging to return borrowed objects to their owners and pay off their debts. The Babylonians year started in March.
