The act of making New Year’s resolutions dates back about 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonians. While their new year didn’t begin in January, they celebrated it with a 12-day feast and made promises to the gods related to returning borrowed objects and paying debts. Thus, the tradition of New Year’s resolutions began!
The ancient Romans had a similar practice with a calendar that began on January 1, where they made sacrifices to the gods and promises of good conduct for the coming year.