Welcome to Effortless English.

Today's article is titled New Year's Resolutions.

This is the normal version of the article.

For an easier version of the article,

join Effortless English at

W.W Effortless English.com. Let's get started. New Year's

resolutions. So have you made your New year's resolutions. What are your goals for the coming year? Do you have

formal written resolutions or just a vague plan? The tradition of the New Year's resolutions goes all the way back to 153 BC.

Janus, a mythical king of early Rome, was placed at the head of the calendar.

With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future.

Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions, and many Romans asked for forgiveness from their enemies

and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year. The new year has not always begun on

January 1st and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today.

It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar.

January 1st became the beginning of the New Year. 25-day solar calendar.

January 1st became the beginning of the new year in 46 BC, when Julius Caesar developed

a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the God of Beginnings, and the guardian

of doors and entrances.

He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back.

Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time.

At midnight on December 31st

...