New Year's Resolutions

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo, mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 1-6

Monday January 5th

In ONE word, describe the highlight of your winter holiday.

What do you think of when you hear: "New Year's Resolutions"

This lesson you...

...know what New Year's resolutions are

...learn more about the history of New Year's Eve by reading a text and watching videos

...think about your own New Year's resolutions

What is your New Year's resolution(s)?

What helps you to stick to your New Year's Resolution?

1. Getting paid to do something
2. Putting a lot of energy into it in the first month
3. Adding it to something you already do
4. Making a habit out of it

SPEAKING in pairs

1. What did you think of 2025? What was the most important thing that happened to you? What was the most enjoyable?

2. What is your New Year's resolution and why?

3. What helps you to stick to your New Year's resolution? 

4. What will you have liked to achieve by the end of 2026? 

        Give each other feedback and tips.

What are the New Year's Eve traditions in the Netherlands?

Reading

Read the following article on the history of New Year

After reading there are questions to check your understanding

https:

In ancient Egypt, what celebration marked the "opening of the year"?

1. Wepet Renpet
2. Akitu
3. Chinese New Year
4. Janus Festival

What significant change did Julius Caesar make to the Roman calendar in 46 B.C.?

1. Shifted the New Year to March
2. Added an extra month
3. Introduced Leap Year
4. Declared Jan. 1 as the New Year

Why did the Chinese New Year celebration originate more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty?

1. To celebrate the spring planting season
2. To honor their ancestors
3. To mark the end of winter
4. To commemorate a military victory

Which ancient civilization is credited with making New Year's resolutions during a festival called Akitu?

1. Ancient Egypt
2. Ancient Rome
3. Babylon
4. Ancient China

What was the purpose of the celebration called Wepet Renpet in ancient Egypt?

1. To pray for good fortune
2. To celebrate the Nile river's flood
3. To honor the gods of agriculture
4. To make New Year's resolutions

What did medieval knights supposedly do at the end of each year during the Middle Ages?

1. Celebrate the Chinese New Year
2. Make New Year's resolutions
3. Renew their vows of chivalry
4. Engage in a 12-day party

Who resolved the calendar problem in the 1570s and implemented the Gregorian calendar in 1582?

1. Julius Caesar
2. Pope Gregory XIII
3. Emperor Augustus
4. Chinese emperor

Which ancient culture celebrated the New Year around midsummer, coinciding with the Nile river's annual flood?

1. Ancient Rome
2. Ancient China
3. Ancient Egypt
4. Babylon

In the context of New Year's resolutions, what does the two-faced god Janus symbolize according to ancient Roman beliefs?

1. Reflection on past and future
2. Hope and despair
3. Wisdom and foolishness
4. Joy and sorrow

According to Merriam Webster, when was the full phrase "New Year Resolution" first used?

1. 1813
2. 46 B.C.
3. 1000 A.D.
4. 3000 B.C.