By Mckayla Holson
Student Reporter
New Year’s resolutions and Christmas memories are on the minds of people around campus as the holiday season quickly approaches.
According to Sarah Pruitt, a writer for the History Channel, resolutions have been around for thousands of years.
Pruitt said that it began with ancient Babylonians who would make promises to gods to repay debts and return any objects they borrowed.
Pruitt said that ancient Rome also held similar practices. They offered sacrifices to the deity Janus, who was believed to symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future and made promises of good conduct for the coming year.
In today’s time, people usually make resolutions to themselves and not gods.
These resolutions also tend to focus on improving the body and mind. Many people say they will work out more and eat healthier for their resolutions.
Unfortunately, not all people keep their resolutions. According to an article by Carolyn Gregorie, a Huffington Post writer, only eight percent of people actually keep their resolutions.
The extremely low number could be because of overly ambitious goals. Some people set goals such as working out five days a week, quitting sugar, quitting drinking soda and many other goals that would take more time than a resolution can give.
Creating a practical goal can be beneficial in succeeding at your resolution. Start the year over and work towards the bigger goals throughout the year.
Michael “Seth” Cudd is the director of bands at NWOSU. Cudd directs the marching band, concert band, and jazz band. He also teaches multiple music related classes.
Cudd is working on his PhD in composition at Rutgers University and one of his resolutions is to finish his dissertation. Cudd said that he is close to finishing.
Cudd said that this is really his only resolution for the New Year.
On the topic of the New Year, memories were brought up.
One of Cudd’s favorite Christmas memories occurred in 1987.
Cudd was seven years old and his mom had just married his stepdad the month before. Cudd was originally an only child but his stepdad had two kids. Cudd, his brother and his sister received a brand-new, original Nintendo for Christmas. It was an upgrade from his Atari.
Cudd said that it was a special Christmas.
Since that first Christmas, Cudd and his family have played video games as a tradition. This tradition varies from the traditional tradition of watching movies or playing board games.
Cudd remembers playing games such as Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt and the original Zelda.
Holiday traditions allow families and friends to become closer to one another. Cudd’s special tradition allowed him to bond with his family in an enjoyable way.
Some families have other traditions such as watching movies, opening a present on Christmas Eve, having a special dessert and others.
A tip for starting a Christmas tradition is to just do it. Try an idea out and see if it sticks. If it works, stick with it. If it does not work, try again. Family traditions do not have to be traditional. Just enjoy your time with family.
Consider creating Christmas traditions this year or think about traditions that you may already have in place.