Page 11 - SAMPLE Almanac

New Year’s Resolutions
On 31st December we often talk about ‘making resolutions’ for the new year. Why do we do this?
The tradition of making resolutions
started with the Romans, too.
Because the January god, Janus,
was looking backwards and forwards at the same time, he became a symbol for the Romans of forgetting what had happened in the past and moving on into the future. January therefore became known as a month in which to forgive people and be kind.
Nowadays, people seem to worry more about getting fit and not eating chocolate – maybe we should be more like the Romans and make resolutions to be kinder instead?
Here are some ideas for resolutions that you might manage to keep . . .
• Look out for someone at school who needs a friend.
• Have a cake sale or organise a sponsored silence or a sponsored walk for charity.
• Clear out your old toys and clothes and take them to a charity shop. (Check with an adult before you give these things away!)
• Help out around the house and/or garden, if you have one.
January starts on the same day of the week as October and ends on the same day of the week as February and October. If it’s a leap year, January starts on the same day of the week as April and July and ends on the same day of the week as July.
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