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Why Do We Make New Year's Resolutions 为什么我们会制定新年计划 Every time a new year rolls around, people set out to better themselves. They promise they will lose weight, find a new job, or maybe even take that vacation they've always talked about. But why do we make these promises to ourselves, and where did this tradition come from? And why does this tradition live on when so many people fail to keep the resolutions they make? Well, we can start by blaming the ancient Babylonians. 每当新的一年来临之际，人们都会决定改变自己。他们会决心减肥，找到一份新工作，甚至可能会过一个讨论已久的假期。但我们为什么要对自己定下这些目标呢？这个传统又从何而来呢？为什么很多人最终都没能实现新年目标，但这个传统依旧延续呢？我们可以从古巴比伦人开始谈起。 Around 4000 years ago in Babylon, the earliest recorded celebration honoring the coming of a new year was held. Calendars weren’t as they are today, so the Babylonians kicked things off in late March during the first new moon after the Spring Equinox. The collective ceremonial events were known as the Akitu festival, which lasted 11 days. The festivities were dedicated to the rebirth of the sun god Marduk, but the Babylonians made promises in order to get on the right side of all of their gods. They felt this would help them start the new year off on the right foot. | 
