What is it about New Year's that inspires people to make resolutions, to proclaim that they will change some major part of their lives, and be so confident about it? Physically nothing has changed: the weather on Jan. 1 is the same as the weather on Dec. 31, the days are the same length, usually living situation, job, family, and friends are all the same. I think it's safe to assume that people don't look at the next day, or the next week, or the next month as a fresh start to a new life (at least not in the same way as a "New Year".) So what happens at midnight on Dec. 31st that causes people to see the next day and next year in a whole new light? Maybe it's because watching the clock hit 12:00 and flipping the calendar over to January 1 2008 actually forces us to recognize the passing of time. It causes us to look at the last 365 days and determine what we've done to improve ourselves, and in what ways we've grown and changed in various areas of our lives. Maybe that reflection helps us realize how big our role is in our own fate, and in turn makes us want to continue taking charge of our lives in the form of new year's resolutions. Maybe it's simply because New Year's carries such heavy symbolism with it anyway, and no one really experiences all that stuff... I'm sure it's different for everyone.
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