The earliest recorded New Year festivities date back to 2000 B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia, located in what is now Iraq. The festival, known as Akitu, commenced on the first new moon after the spring equinox, typically around March. This 12-day event marked the crowning of a new king or reaffirming loyalty to the current ruler. Additionally, Akitu coincided with the barley harvest, integrating agricultural significance into the celebration.
It stems from an ancient Roman custom, the feast of the Roman god Janus. He was the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. This is also where the name for the month of January comes from, since Janus was depicted as having two opposite faces. One face looked back into the past, and the other peered forward to the future.To celebrate the new year, the Romans also made promises to Janus. The tradition of New Year’s resolutions stems from this ancient custom. On January 1, as the year began, it was customary to exchange cheerful words of good wishes.