Wonder of the Day #90

Why Do People Make New Year’s Resolutions?

Previous wonder Next wonder

Listen Print 28 Comments

ARTS & CULTURE — Holidays

Have You Ever Wondered...

Why do people make New Year's resolutions?
What types of New Year's resolutions do people make?
How did the tradition of New Year's resolutions get started?

Tags:

See All Tags

A New Year's resolution is a promise a person makes for the new year. Regardless of what resolution you commit to, the goal is to improve life in the coming year.

Resolutions can come in many forms. Some people make a promise to change a bad habit, such as quitting smoking or eating less junk food. Other people make a promise to develop a positive habit, such as starting an exercise program, volunteering in their community, or recycling more.

The tradition of New Year's resolutions dates all the way back to 153 B.C. January is named after Janus, a mythical god of early Rome.

Janus had two faces — one looking forward, one looking backward. This allowed him to look back on the past and forward toward the future.

On December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking backward into the old year and forward into the new year. This became a symbolic time for Romans to make resolutions for the new year and forgive enemies for troubles in the past.

The Romans also believed Janus could forgive them for their wrongdoings in the previous year. The Romans would give gifts and make promises, believing Janus would see this and bless them in the year ahead.

And thus the New Year's resolution was born!

Wonder Contributors

We’d like to thank:

Kellie from NC
for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

Keep WONDERing with us!

What are you wondering?

Wonder Words (18)

Take the Wonder Word Challenge

Did you get it?

Test your knowledge

Wonder What's Next?

Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day will help you prepare for a great New Year ahead!

Try It Out

Are you ready to make some New Year's resolutions? Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member:

Resolutions can be goals you want to accomplish over a short period of time (short-term goals) or goals you want to accomplish over a year or many years (long-term goals). Whether you want to send more letters to your grandparents, set up a lemonade stand, spend more time outdoors, or learn something new by visiting Wonderopolis every day, it's great for you and your friends and family members to set goals! Make a list of long- and short-term resolutions and keep track of your progress. For some added fun, use this poster template from Canva to list and track your goals.
Ask friends and family members about the New Year's resolutions they've made in the past. Which ones have they kept successfully? Which ones have they failed to keep? Ask them for advice about what types of resolutions to make and how to succeed in keeping the resolutions you make.
How do you and your friends and family members celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day? Whatever you happen to do this year, take some time to talk to others about their hopes and dreams for the new year. What resolutions are they making? Make a list of others' resolutions and revisit them every month or so throughout the course of the next year. Be encouraging when you notice others struggling to maintain their resolutions, and celebrate when you notice others succeeding!

Wonder Sources

Did you get it?

Test your knowledge

Wonder Contributors

We’d like to thank:

Kellie from NC
for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

Keep WONDERing with us!

What are you wondering?

Wonder Words

Take the Wonder Word Challenge

Join the Discussion

how do you guys get this stuff.

We research! Most of our Wonders contain a list of the resources we used, and those that don't need to be updated. Thanks for stopping by!

this wonder gave me some amazing info happy new year

Happy New Year!

wonderopolis how do i make a wonder, reply to tell me

I don't know but I want 2

? Easy-peasy, Jack. Hop on over to the Wonder Bank and add what you're WONDERing about!

Wow this is very interesting I’m thinking i might make a New Years resolution!???

That's great, Calvin! What will your resolution be?

I know my resolution, to make alot of wonders for you guys if i know how

What is your gender

Hello there, Good to know the Reason behind this Tradition.
Every Year I make new Resolutions and Set out goals for myself but Give Up by the end of the next few weeks. Can you shed some more light on it?

I don’t understand the reason people do this

Thanks for your comment, Mason! It IS hard to understand 'why' sometimes when it isn't a thing we do!

Thanks for commenting! It sounds like you have already started to take a Wonder Journey to learn more about New Year's Resolutions and why they are difficult to keep - great job! We'd love to hear more about what else you learn!

Hey New Years is the best

idk

We hope this Wonder helps you learn more about why people make New Year's Resolutions, jaysha!!

People celebrate New Years resolution because the would like to accomplish something different in the new year.

Great point, Kaitlyn! Self-reflection is a great thing and the start of a New Year is a natural time for people to evaluate their life and think about how they could improve. Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year?

People think I'm cool now!!!!!!!! They like my axsent and my clothing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!

Glad to hear it, Chloe! People are finally getting hip to what we've known all along: you are one cool Wonder Friend!

Thank you for the tips!!!!!

Glad we could help a little, Chloe. Thanks for reaching out!

The bullying started again and its really bad! Help me please!!!!

That really stinks, Chloe! Have you tried alerting your teacher or counselor? If you haven't, it's probably time to do so. We found some tips on StopBullying.gov that may help you. Stay strong, Wonder Friend. You can get through this!

This is very intresting comment if you think so too

Thanks for sharing your comment with us, Taylin! We're glad you found it interesting!

cool

Hi, William! We're glad you had fun exploring this Wonder! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis! :)

I loved this wonder

Great to hear, Grady! It's GREAT when we're learning and having fun! :)

cool

AMAZING

We're glad you liked this Wonder, too, igor! It's definitely popular! :)

We're THRILLED you liked this Wonder, davon! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis! We hope you have a WONDER-filled 2016! :)

This article was very amusing and had facts I did not know.Thanks Wonderopolis!

You're very welcome, Konnor! We appreciate you stopping by Wonderopolis and WONDERing with us! We're glad you learned more about the history of New Year's! :)

Wonderopolis helps you think.

WONDERful, gloria! We're THRILLED to hear that! WONDERing is a GREAT way to learn new things! :)

Loved it expecially when you talked about the Romans.

Great, remington! We're glad you liked this Wonder! Did you make a New Year's resolution this year? :)

this was a really awesome site now I know how new years resolutions got started and what are some other new years resolutions! ;)

We're glad you learned something new, Morgan! WONDERing is a GREAT way to learn new things! :)

Wow This is interesting (#^-^#)

Hi, Hadicha! We're THRILLED you liked this Wonder. Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! :)

it so cool how everyone has a different religion! roman gods is a very cool topic and this is a great fact about it! THANKS WONDEROPOLIS! :D

Hi, bethanie! Thanks for WONDERing with us! Always keep your positive enthusiasm about WONDERing and learning! :)

I love the artical! It really tells me about what a New Years resoloution is. ;)

Great, madison! We're glad you learned more about this popular holiday! :)

WOW! that was an awesome paragraph I am I don't get how they came up with roman gods it is weird.

Hi, Trae! We're glad you learned something new! It would be fun to keep researching this topic! :)

I like this. It gives me a lot of facts that I didn't know about. :>

WONDERful, Lacy! We're so glad it was helpful! WONDERing is a GREAT way to learn new things! :)

That is awesome that Janus could look in the past and future

Hi, Peter! We're glad you liked this Wonder. We hope you had fun visiting Wonderopolis! :)

This is a wonderful website I learned a lot from it.

That's GREAT to hear, brooklynn! We hope you visit again soon! There is a new Wonder every weekday! :)

wonderopolis helps me understand a bunch of things I didnt know

Hi, kaden! We're glad you're learning new things and having fun at Wonderopolis! Visit again soon! :)

My New Year's Resolutions are trying to lose weight to be 70 pounds, get A+ on homework and test, and be responsible.

Those are all GREAT resolutions, Isaac! We hope you have a WONDER-filled 2016! :)

I really enjoyed reading the article! I loved how you explained what a New Year's resolution is! I hope to come on this site more often! I learned a lot more about the history about a New Year's resolution! Now I have many more resolution's! THANK YOU:) KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!!!!:)

That's WONDERful, Zoe! We're glad you had fun exploring this Wonder. We appreciate your comment! :)

I would like to a learn more about Janus I never knew that January was named after a roman god who could see into the future or past.

Hi, Triston! We encourage you to keep researching about Janus at your library and online. Have fun WONDERing! :)

This story is very interesting. It has lots of fun information.

We're glad you liked this Wonder, Samanatha! It's one of our favorites, too! :)

I love the quizes and the artical

Awesome, Alex! Thanks for WONDERing with us! We're glad you had fun! :)

Dear wonderopolis, i loved this artical it was very interesting

Fabulous, shiava! We're glad to hear that! Always keep WONDERing! :)

I like the story. I think Janus is cool. My New Years resolution is to help my mom more.

Hi, Bryson! We're sure your mom would appreciate that. We hope you share this Wonder with her! :)

I always ask myself questions and I think Wonderopolis really does help me. I always think that New Years resolutions just happened out of no were and now I under stand of how the started.Thank you!

Welcome, Kalina! We're glad this Wonder was helpful! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! :)

I liked the interesting facts about Janus and how we got the New years revolution. Like I said I always have weird questions in my head and ask myself, can that really happen for real life? THANK YOU:)! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK :)

Welcome back, Kalina! We're glad you're always WONDERing! It's a GREAT way to learn new things and have fun at the same time! :)

I really like how the backstory behind New Years resolutions isn't just somebody started making promises for the next year. After all history is my favorite subject.

Hi, adrianna! We think history is fun to learn about, too. We hope you search for more historic Wonders to explore. There are many! :)

Why did the Romans believe in Janus?

Great question, Kalynn! Mythology is a very popular subject. We encourage you to keep researching to learn more! :)

Hello, wonderopolis i really liked how i got to know January was named after a god. My New Year resolution is to be nice to my sister and get A's in all my 5 classes.

Hello, Jadeilie! We're THRILLED you liked this Wonder. It's GREAT when we're learning and having fun! Happy 2016! :)

I thought it was really interesting that Janus had 2 faces.

Hi, Sam! We're glad you had fun reading this Wonder! We hope you're having a WONDERful day! :)

I like the story how it told different kinds of resolutions

Hello, Luke! We agree, it was interesting! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

I think it´s weird that Janus had two faces and also kinda cool. I think that you should make another wonder about why they made him have 2 faces.

That would be interesting, Natalie! You can submit your Wonder ideas to the Wonder Bank. Always keep WONDERing! :)

I liked finding out that Romans would forgive or apologize to their enemies and that they would also ask for forgiveness from any wrongdoings that they committed. :)

Hi, Xavier! We're glad you liked this Wonder and learned something new! Thanks for your comment! :)

I just loved this text. It was so cool to read about Janus, and how the New Year's Resolution tradition started.

That's GREAT to hear, Raymos! Always continue to Wonder! It's a GREAT way to learn new things! :)

I really enjoyed this article because I have been wondering why people make New Year's resolution. My new years resolutions are to turn in my homework and walk my dogs every day. I would really like to do more research bout Janus!

We hope you do keep researching about Janus, Bryn! Let us know what you find out! You made GREAT New Year resolutions. Happy 2016! :)

My new years resolution is to be a youtuber.

That sounds fun, Lilly! We hope you find WONDER-filled videos! :)

I thought the article was great, but I think it needed a bit more detail. Did the Romans accomplish their resolutions? Did Janus bless them for the new year? Did you know people from Texas believe that if you eat black eyed peas it will mean good luck for the new year? What is your resolution?

Thabks for the feedback, Makayla! We're glad you're still WONDERing! We hope you keep researching this topic! :)

I think that this was an amazing and interesting article! :):):)

Great, Holden! We're glad you liked it! We hope you had a GREAT day! :)

What kind of New Year's resolution did the Romans make.

Great question, Mauricio! Not sure if anyone knows! What do you think? :)

I really got into the story when it started to talk about how the tradition of the New Year's resolutions got started! Thank You!!! :) :)

You're very welcome, Nico! We're THRILLED you're WOBDERing with us! :)

Weird. But I don't need a two head dude telling me to make a new year promise.

Hi, JJ! Thanks for your comment! Hope you had a WONDET-filled day! :)

I liked it. It helped my understant the history of New Years.

AWESOME, Chase! It's GREAT when we're learning and having fun! :)

I learned so many things from this text. I really enjoyed the text. I never knew that it all started with the Romans.

Welcome, Hailey! We're glad you learned something new! Always keep WONDERing! :)

My New Year's Resolution is to do better in science and to be nicer to my family.

That's GREAT, julieanna! Keeping up the GREAT work! :)

my new years resolution is to get good grades

Great resolution, lesley! We know you can do it! :)

This text is very imformal and helps me under stand the new year's resolutoin histery.

We're glad to hear it was helpful and informational, Daniel! What is the most interesting new thing you learned? :)

I LOVE this article. It is really neat how the Romans made up the New Years resolutions. And I would have never guessed that Janus had two faces. Again, I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!!! Thanks, Wonderopolis! :)

Great enthusiasm for WONDERing and learning, Blythe! Thanks for sharing what you learned! :)

I learned a lot of new thing that happened to make New Year's happen. It took a very long time.

That's GREAT, Dany! It's AWESOME you learned something new! :)

The story is full of information. I really liked how they got into detail about the god. I think it is interesting that the Romans did all of that.;) #New Year

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rhett! We're glad you had fun WONDERing! :)

One of my New Year's resolutions is to make more friends in soccer and school. :)

That sounds like fun, Samsntha! We always love making new friends! :)

I think that the Wonder was well written and that the video is super cute. I already knew that the God Janus had 2 faces but I didn't know that he started new years resolutions.#Resolutions

Hi, Keoni! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis! We appreciate your comment! :)

The article was interesting. I liked that it Had detail in how the new years resoloutions began #NewYear

Happy New Year, madison! Glad you liked this Wonder! :)

I think it was very interesting that the god janus had two faces.

We appreciate you sharing what you learned, Rachel! Always keep WONDERing! :)

WONDEROPOLIS rocks! My resolution is to be kinder to other kids.

That's WONDERful, Augie! You should check out Wonder #137: What Is a Random Act of Kindness? :)

My resolution is to read more then 2 million words

That would be AWESOME, Keoni! Keep working hard! :)

# happy new year

Same to you, jake! We hope you have a WONDER-filled 2016! :)

I learned a lot from this text

That's GREAT to hear, Braeden! What's the most interesting thing you learned? :)

i had no idea that january had a god

That's right, jacobp! The Wonder tells us "January is named after Janus, a mythical god of early Rome." :)

Now I'm guessing every month has a god. Janus, Febus, Marchis, Aprus, Mais, Junis, Julius, Augustus, Septis, Octus, Novis, and Decembis?

Interesting, Augie! Check out Wonder #89: How Did the Months of the Year Get Their Names? Have fun WONDERing!

I really liked the interesting story! Especially Janus he sounds awesome I want to learn more about him!

We're THRILLED you liked this Wonder, Navaeh! We encourage you to keep researching and learning about Janus! :)

What enemies did the Romans forgive after the new year? My new years resolution is to eat better and drink more water.

Hi, Kasen! That's a WONDERful New Year resolution! Always important to eat well and drink lots of water! Check out Wonder #170: How Much Water Do You Need To Survive?. Have fun WONDERing! :)

I really like the article, I think it is very interesting that people made resolution or promises the Janus for a new year. Also, It is weird that a person has two heads

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this Wonder, Ashtynd! We're glad you liked it! :)

He was a GOD not a HUMAN

Thanks for joining the discussion, Keoni! :)

that is interesting how it started. thank you romans(:

Hi, kole! We liked this Wonder, too. We're glad you learned something new about the New Year's holiday! :)

I love the artical it really tells the story of New Year's resolution.

Yes it does, Kira Carp! Thanks for exploring this Wonder with us! :)

WONDERing is happening when it comes to this website, I have no clue what to go to these days, there is just so much things to do, I love it!!!

We love your enthusiasm for WONDERing and learning, Ryan! We're glad you stopped by Wondeorpolis! :)

I have had a gr8 time with this website!!

That's GREAT, madison! We love when we're learning and having fun! :)

I liked it but it wasn't super great like everything else is good but this was kinda weird

Thanks for your feedback, logan! Luckily, there are more than 1,500 Wonders you can explore at Wonderopolis! We're glad you're WONDERing with us! :)

It wasn't vary clear. Why did the Romans write things down? Other then that this site is amazing!

Great question, sarabeth roth! We're glad they did because it helped us learn about history. We're glad you had fun visiting Wonderopolis! :)

You're right sarabeth

We appreciate your feedback, too, Keoni! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

Why did they name New Year's that any way why did't they name it New Janus?

Interesting idea, Madison! Never thought about that! :)

I love love all the stories that you do but this one was particularly my most favorite! My new years resolution is to drink more water.

We're EXCITED to hear you liked this Wonder! It's always fun to learn new things! That's a WONDERful resolution! :)

Wonderopolis is an amazing website. I love all the information it gives out and how it stays on topic.

Thanks for the kind words, Ashleigh! Our Wonder Friends are AWESOME, too! :)

This was a great article that told me about why New Years resolutions are made and about Janus.

We're glad you learned something new, Landen! Thanks for stopping by! :)

We did this for a project at school for 5th grade in Mrs. Martinezs class. I love Wonderopolis you guys are awesome.

That sounds like fun, Carson! It's GREAT when we're learning and having fun at the same time! :)

I loved this article it was the best and you guys are the best!!!

Thanks, Mikah! We're THRILLED you had fun exploring this Wonder! :)

I really like the article but I would like more detail if possible because I read a lot of other wonders and there articles are much longer than this. I rate this article 3-4 stars. Overall nice job.

Hi, Joseph! We appreciate your feedback. We encourage you to write your own Wonder about New Years and use this Wonder as a resource. Sometimes the Wonders are just a starting place! :)

Good resolutions.

We agree, Alex! We enjoy hearing from our Wonder Friends about their resolutions for 2016! :)

why did the romen started the new years

Great question, zachary! We encourage you to keep learning about the history of New Year's at your library and online. Always keep WONDERing! :)

My resolution for the new year is to read more and get better at gymnastics. Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Fantastic, Lauren! Those are both WONDERful resolutions! Keep up the GREAT work! :)

It is cool to learn about how different type of events were found.

We agree, antonio! It's always fun to learn about history and traditions. We encourage you to use the search feature to find more Wonders about history! :)

I think that the new year resolutions were very interesting of how they came to be. My new year resolution would have to be to win the basketball championships.

Thanks for sharing your resolution, Danica! Good luck in basketball! We're glad you liked this Wonder! :)

It was interesting how resolutions got started. I thought they got started with some that was like " I don't want to eat as much ice-cream." then boom resolutions were born.

Hi, Victor! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We're glad you learned something new from reading this Wonder! :)

I thought it was really fun to learn a little bit about Janus!!!!

Great, Sydney! It's AWESOME when we're learning and having fun, too! :)

I like this.

WONDERful, Eli! That's GREAT to hear! We're glad you stopped by Wonderopolis today! :)

My New Year's resolution is to make more friends.

That's always fun, Kaylan! Hopefully you can share this Wonder with a new friend this year! :)

Hey! I like this wonder. It told me stuff I never even knew about. Like Janus. I never knew a god named that existed or that he was a main part of the holiday. I just thought that we did all of the stuff for fun. I still have one question though. When did we start having the ball drop? That's it. Bye! :3

Thanks for sharing what you learned, Danae! You're in luck - we have the perfect Wonder for your question! Wonder #1594: When Did the New Year’s Eve Ball First Drop in Times Square? Have fun WONDERing! :)

How many people have New Year's resolutions?

Hi, Payton! Lots of people make New Year's resolutions! It's a very popular tradition. We imagine it would be hard to know an exact number! :)

I liked how you put in information about the past.

Hi, paige! We appreciate your comment and feedback about this Wonder. We're glad you liked it! :)

My new year's resolution is to get all A's on my report card

Fantastic, Sophia! Keep up the GREAT work and we know you can do it! :)

My New Years resolution is to read more during the weekends and breaks.

That's WONDERful, Andee! Reading is a GREAT way to WONDER, too! :)

my new year's resolution is to get better in volleyball and to read a lot of book

Sounds like a GREAT plan, gabri! Thanks for sharing! Good luck and have fun! :)

Dear wonderopolis, my new years resolution is be better about what I eat/ no junk food

Hi, Analea! That's always important! We're glad to hear you're looking after your health! :)

My New Year's resolution is that I will be nicer to my brother and not hurt him or call him names.

That's GREAT, Bailey! We know your brother will appreciate that! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

Wonderopolis is coll because you can find almost any article.

We're glad you're having fun at Wonderopolis, Max! There are more than 1,500 Wonders currently and a new Wonder featured every weekday! :)

I learned how New Year's resolutions. And learned that "January" was named after Janus.

WONDERful, Olivya! Thanks for sharing what you learned! Visit again soon! :)

My New Year's resolution is to ride a horse faster because I'm scared I'm going to fall off. What is your New Year's resolution?

We know you can do it, Brinlee! Just takes practice! Our resolution is keep WONDERing and make lots of new Wonder Friends! Thanks for sharing! :)

I really liked this Wonder and the information I learned from it.

Great, Hannah! We're THRILLED to hear that! What was your favorite part? :)

I like the part of the story when they talk about the romans.

Hi, carson! We're glad you liked this Wonder! Thanks for sharing your favorite part. Keep up the GREAT WONDERing! :)

this was a great artical. My new years resolution is to get my work done early before it is due.

That's a GREAT resolution to have, Madison! We hope you're having a TERRIFIC day! :)

I liked that story thank you for sharing it with us 5th graders

You're very welcome, logan! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis and WONDERing with us! :)

My new year's resolution is to read more and recycle more. I want to also be kinder to my family members all the time at home and no matter where I go with them!

That's WONDERful, Kyra! Very thoughtful resolutions! We hope you have a GREAT year! :)

I love this paragraph because it is inspiring to write a new years resalution.

We're glad it was inspiring, Alex! Have you written a New Year's resolution? We would love to hear it! :)

I really liked this article and I thought it was very interesting! Thank you!!! :)

Hi, Alex! We're glad you liked this Wonder. Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! :)

This had great facts that I never even knew and I have a feeling we'll learn more in History. Also, what resolutions do you guys have?

Hello, Jet! That's GREAT this Wonder connects to what you're learning in school. We plan to keep WONDERing and make lots of new Wonder Friends! :)

Wonderopolis had some cool facts.

Great to hear, Abuzaid! We're glad you learned something new! We hope you share what you learned with someone else! :)

My new years resolution is doing hard work

Thanks for sharing, miguel! That's a GREAT goal! Always keep WONDERing, too! :)

that is cool how janus , the mythical god, had 2 faces ! it reminds me of harry potter. this aticle was fun to read !

Great connection, Kory! We're glad you had fun exploring this Wonder! :)

i hope to do more stuff with wonderopolis and keep up the good work wonderopolis

Hi, logan! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis! We're glad you having fun WONDERing! We appreciate your support! :)

I love Wonderopolis because it helps me understand what things are.It helps me figure out what this type of thing is.And my New Year's resolution is to get straight "A's" in all of my classes. :)

We're glad the Wonders are helpful and interesting, Ellison! Keep up the GREAT work and we know you'll achieve your resolution! :)

My New Year's resolution is to do a over hand serve in volleyball

That would be SUPER cool, Sarah! Keep working hard and we know it will happen! :)

My New Years resolution is to study more and get better grades in school.

AWESOME, Thomas! WONDERing is a GREAT way to study and learn new things. Keep up the GREAT work! :)

i think its interesting that the romans started new years resolution out of beilef of a god

Hi, dylan! We're glad you liked this Wonder and learned something new! Enjoy the rest of your week! :)

well my new years resolution is to make the world a better place

That's WONDERful, Mason! Always a GREAT goal to have! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

I just want to say I LOVE THIS WEBSITE!!! Thank you Wonderopolis for making this website, it's truly very interesting to learn about how the Romans started New Year's Resolutions. Thanks for posting this!! @NysaK

You're very welcome, Nysa! Keep up the GREAT enthusiasm for WONDERing and learning! :)

I am excited to share this article with my 5th grade students. We will be writing our 2016 resolutions after reading this article.

The video was nice, and I liked the article. Thanks for helping answer questions kids have, Wonderopolis!

WONDERful, Mrs. Martinez! Thanks for inspiring them to Wonder! We hope you and your students share your resolutions! :)

The video is so cute i want to start to doing new year revolution's too.

It's WONDERful to set goals and strive to achieve them, Jeremiah! Best wishes for achieving your New Year's resolution! :)

Thank you for your thoughtful start to the New Year. Here is my take on being resolute about my journey in 2015

Happy New Year, Carol Varsalona! Thanks for WONDERing with us! We hope you have a WONDERful 2015! :)

Hi wonderopolis I was wondering why the New Years Resolution ends around Easter time?-Emma K

Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis, Emma K! New Years resolutions don't have to end around Easter. They can last a long time and become lifelong habits! However, sometimes people might over-commit themselves at the beginning of the year, making lots of resolutions or very hard ones, and it's difficult to keep up with them. That can make it seem like resolutions end in the spring time. Have you ever made a New Years resolution? :)

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!!

You rock, Alexis! Do you have any resolutions for this year! :)

1. people make new years resolutions because they want to set a goal for themselves for the new year. 2. the most common resolution is they could get out of bad habits and make good habits. 3. it started in 153 B.C and January is named after a god in Rome. He had two faces so he could look front and back and so he could look in the past and the future, and so the Romes imagined Junes and they made resolutions.

Those are three GREAT facts from this Wonder of the Day®, Marissa! Thanks so much for sharing what you learned in Wonderopolis today! :-)

Related Wonders for You to Explore

#2961

Who Was Jacob Lawrence?

#2956

What Is Pride Month?

#2953

What Are the Types of Jewish Dance?

#2952

Who Was Sonia Delaunay?

#2951

Who Was Irving Berlin?

Select a Word

Drag a word to its definition

WordMatch

Select a Wonder Word:

habit

regardless

symbolic

resolution

forward

(usually followed by `of') without due thought or consideration

a sincere promise to oneself to do something

moving toward a position ahead

serving as a visible symbol for something abstract

an established custom

WordMatch

Congratulations!

You’ve matched all of the definitions correctly.

Play Again

Have You Ever Wondered...

Tags:

Wonder What's Next?

Try It Out

Wonder Sources

Did you get it?

Wonder Contributors

Wonder Words

bere

Jon

Dixie Normus

Jack

jon

Calvin

Jack

Mason

Niharika Sharma

Mason

Mason lawl.

jaysha

Kaitlyn

Chloe

Chloe

Chloe

Taylin

William

Grady Vickerman

davon

igor

Konnor Khiev

gloria

remington

Morgan H

Hadicha

bethanie

madison b

Trae Bennett

Lacy C

Peter M.

brooklynn.R

kaden s

Isaac Favela

Zoe Jamsay

Triston T

Samantha L

Alex sprague

shiava saenz

Bryson Nichols

Kalina Alaniz

Kalina Alaniz

adrianna

Kalynn Jennings

Jadeilie A.

Sam B.

Luke J

Natalie Aerni

Xavier A

Raymos C

Bryn Shirley

Lilly Gomez

Makayla G.

Holden Billiot

Mauricio L

Nico Jamison

JJ

chase barton

Hailey G.

julieanna young

lesley R

Daniel Hidalgo

Blythe Schaller

Dany Reckling

Rhett Vander Dussen;)

Samantha Byerly

Keoni Aricayos

madison d

Rachel Kirkpatrick