January is the first month of the year.
Latin (Roman) name: Ianvarivs or Ianuarius or Januarius or Janus
The Roman month of January is named for Janus (Ianvs). January was sacred to Janus, the Roman God of gates, doors, and entrances. Janus was an early Italic sky god that long predated Rome. Ovid claimed that Janus said “The ancient called me chaos, for a being from of old am I.” Ovid also claimed that after the world’s creation, Janus said, “It was then that I, till that time a mere ball, a shapeless lump, assumed the face and members of a god.” Joannes of Lydia said, “Our own Philadelphia still preserves a trace of the ancient belief. On the first day of the month there goes in procession no less a personage than Janus himself, dressed up in a two-faced mask, and people call him Saturnus, identifying him with Kronos.” The beginning of each day, month, and year were sacred to Janus. The Romans believed that Janus opened the gates of heaven each day at dawn , letting out the monring, and closed the gates of heaven each day at dusk.
The earliest Roman months were lunar. According to Roman mythology, the ten month solar calendar aligned to the vernal equinox was introduced by Romulus, the founder of Rome, around 753 BCE. In Romulus’ calendar, January did not exist. Numa Pompilius, the second of the seven traditional kings of Rome, added two more months, for a 12 month year. In Numa’s calendar, January was added to the beginning of the year (following February) and had 29 days. Gaius Julius Caesar, as Pontifex Maximus (supreme bridge-builder, a religious title), reorganized the calendar on the first day of 45 BCE. In Caesar’s calendar (the Julian Calendar), January had 31 days and February was moved to after January. Caesar’s calendar was calculated by Sosigenes, an Egyptian astrologer/astronomer. In 8 BCE, Augustus Caesar fixed errors by pontiffs after Julius’ death and made other minor modifications, resulting in the modern Western calendar. The modern Gregorian Calendar, named for Roman Catholic Pope Gregory the Thirteenth, was a realignment in 1582. The Romans avoided giving January 30 days (skipping from 29 to 31) because of a superstitious dread of even numbers.
Meaning of name: “For Janus, Roman God of Gates and Doorways” — SOURCE: Anniversaries and Holidays by Ruth Gregory
Flowers: carnation and snowdrop — SOURCE: Anniversaries and Holidays by Ruth Gregory
Birthstone: garnet — SOURCE: Anniversaries and Holidays by Ruth Gregory
Goddesses: Juno, Hera, Hestia, Brigid, Chialchiuhtlique, Elugua or Legba (God) — SOURCE: “Juno Covella, Perpetual Calendar of the Fellowship of Isis” by Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, Cesara Publications, Chicago, ©1982; with additional Goddesses from The Goddess Book of Days by Diane Stein
Gods: Janus or Legba — SOURCE: Anniversaries and Holidays by Ruth Gregory; “Juno Covella, Perpetual Calendar of the Fellowship of Isis” by Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, Cesara Publications, Chicago, ©1982; The Goddess Book of Days by Diane Stein
January 2010
January 2009
January 2008
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| January 1 | January 2 | January 3 | January 4 | January 5 | ||
| January 6 | January 7 | January 8 | January 9 | January 10 | January 11 | January 12 |
| January 13 | January 14 | January 15 | January 16 | January 17 | January 18 | January 19 |
| January 20 | January 21 | January 22 | January 23 | January 24 | January 25 | January 26 |
| January 27 | January 28 | January 29 | January 30 | January 31 |
Books
If you want your book reviewed, please send a copy to: Milo, POB 1361, Tustin, CA 92781, USA.
Anniversaries and Holidays; by Ruth W. Gregory; American Library Association, Chicago; 1983; out of print, but can still be special ordered
The Goddess Book of Days: A Perpetual 366 Day Engagement Calendar; by Diane Stein; The Crossing Press, Freedom, CA; 1992; ISBN 89594-551-7; paperback; out of print, but can still be special ordered
If you want your book reviewed, please send a copy to: Milo, POB 1361, Tustin, CA 92781, USA.
Months of the year
See also: months of the year.
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