In one year and out the other

WHILE "new year, new me" declarations may seem kind of hokey, the making of new year's resolutions is actually a time-honoured, sacred practice. The ancient Babylonians - the first people to record celebrations in honour of the new year - are believed to have started the tradition over 4,000 years ago.

That's right: the people who brought you early trigonometry also invented new year's resolutions.

In Mesopotamia, a new year would turn over not in January, but in March, as this was the month crops would be sown and the earth "reborn". As part of a 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, Babylonians would pledge to get out of debt, promising their pagan gods that they'd return any borrowed items.