January

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January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter) and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer). In the Southern hemisphere, January is the seasonal equivalent of July in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa.

Contents

Ancient Roman observances during this month include Cervula and Juvenalia, celebrated January 1, as well as one of three Agonalia, celebrated January 9, and Carmentalia, celebrated January 11. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.

History

Adoration of the Magi, Epiphany, January 6 Lusenberg-wise-men.jpg
Adoration of the Magi, Epiphany, January 6
January, from the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry Les Tres Riches Heures du duc de Berry Janvier.jpg
January, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

January (in Latin, Ianuarius ) is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology. [1]

Traditionally, the original Roman calendar consisted of 10 months totaling 304 days, winter being considered a month-less period. Around 713 BC, the semi-mythical successor of Romulus, King Numa Pompilius, is supposed to have added the months of January and February, so that the calendar covered a standard lunar year (354 days). Although March was originally the first month in the old Roman calendar, January became the first month of the calendar year either under Numa or under the Decemvirs about 450 BC (Roman writers differ). In contrast, each specific calendar year was identified by the names of the two consuls, who entered office on March 15 until 153 BC, at which point they started entering office on January 1.

Various Christian feast dates were used for the New Year in Europe during the Middle Ages, including March 25 (Feast of the Annunciation) and December 25. However, medieval calendars were still displayed in the Roman fashion with twelve columns from January to December. Beginning in the 16th century, European countries began officially making January 1 the start of the New Year once again—sometimes called Circumcision Style because this was the date of the Feast of the Circumcision, being the seventh day after December 25.

Historical names for January include its original Roman designation, Ianuarius, the Saxon term Wulf-monath (meaning "wolf month") and Charlemagne's designation Wintarmanoth ("winter / cold month"). In Slovene, it is traditionally called prosinec; the name, associated with millet bread and the act of asking for something, was first written in 1466 in the Škofja Loka manuscript. [2]

According to Theodor Mommsen, [3] 1 January became the first day of the year in 600 AUC of the Roman calendar (153 BC), due to disasters in the Lusitanian War. A Lusitanian chief called Punicus invaded the Roman territory, defeated two Roman governors, and killed their troops. The Romans resolved to send a consul to Hispania, and in order to accelerate the dispatch of aid, "they even made the new consuls enter into office two months and a half before the legal time" (March 15).

Symbols

Snow in the Northern Hemisphere in the month of January Sneeuw1.jpg
Snow in the Northern Hemisphere in the month of January
Garnet gemstone Garnet.JPG
Garnet gemstone
Snowdrop (Galanthus) flower Galanthus nivalis close-up aka.jpg
Snowdrop (Galanthus) flower

January's birthstone is the garnet, which represents constancy. [4]

Pink dianthus Dianthus carthusianorum 210505a.jpg
Pink dianthus

Its birth flower is the cottage pink Dianthus caryophyllus , galanthus or traditional carnation. [5] [6] The zodiac signs are Capricorn (until January 19) and Aquarius (January 20 onward).

Observances

This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.

Month-long

January, painting by Leandro Bassano Leandro da Ponte, gen. Leandro Bassano - Januar - GG 4292 - Kunsthistorisches Museum.jpg
January, painting by Leandro Bassano

Food months in the United States

This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.

Non-Gregorian

All Baha'i, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown on the date in question.

Moveable

This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.

January 2 unless that day is a Sunday, in which case January 3

First Friday

Second Saturday

Second Monday

Friday before third Monday

Third Friday

Sunday closest to January 22

Third full week of January

Last full week of January

Third Monday

Wednesday of the third full week of January

Friday between January 19–25

Last Saturday

Last Sunday

January 30 or the nearest Sunday

Last Monday in January

Fourth Monday

Monday Closest to January 29

Fixed

Related Research Articles

April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Its length is 30 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August</span> Eighth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December</span> Twelfth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years or 29 in leap years, with the 29th day being called the leap day. It is the first of five months not to have 31 days and the only one to have fewer than 30 days. February is the third and last month of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the third and last month of meteorological summer.

June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 30 days. June contains the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the most daylight hours, and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the day with the fewest daylight hours. June in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to December in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. In the Northern Hemisphere, the beginning of the traditional astronomical summer is 21 June. In the Southern Hemisphere, meteorological winter begins on 1 June.

July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., being the month of his birth. Before then it was called Quintilis, being the fifth month of the calendar that started with March.

March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere's March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May</span> Fifth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.

November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars. Its length is 30 days. November was the ninth month of the calendar of Romulus c. 750 BC. November retained its name when January and February were added to the Roman calendar. November is a month of late spring in the Southern Hemisphere and late autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, November in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of May in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa. In Ancient Rome, Ludi Plebeii was held from November 4–17, Epulum Jovis was held on November 13 and Brumalia celebrations began on November 24. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Year</span> Beginning of the calendar year

The New Year is the time or day at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system today, New Year occurs on January 1. This was also the first day of the year in the original Julian calendar and the Roman calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">October</span> Tenth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus c. 750 BC, October retained its name after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the Romans. In Ancient Rome, one of three Mundus patet would take place on October 5, Meditrinalia October 11, Augustalia on October 12, October Horse on October 15, and Armilustrium on October 19. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. Among the Anglo-Saxons, it was known as Winterfylleth (Ƿinterfylleþ), because at this full moon, winter was supposed to begin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September</span> Ninth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

September is the ninth month of the year in both the Gregorian calendar and the less commonly used Julian calendar. In the modern Gregorian calendar, its length is 30 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liturgical year</span> Annually recurring fixed sequence of Christian feast days

The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read either in an annual cycle or in a cycle of several years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Year's Day</span> First day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 1 January

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, 1 January. Most solar calendars begin the year regularly at or near the northern winter solstice, while cultures and religions that observe a lunisolar or lunar calendar celebrate their Lunar New Year at less fixed points relative to the solar year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twelve Days of Christmas</span> Period between 25 December and 5 January

The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as the Twelve Days of Christmastide, are the festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whit Monday</span> Holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost

Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter. In the Catholic Church, it is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, marking the resumption of Ordinary Time.

Lists of holidays by various categorizations.

The following are 11 public holidays in Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adoption of the Gregorian calendar</span> Transition to "New Style" dating system

The adoption of the Gregorian Calendar was an event in the early modern history of most cultures and societies, marking a change from their traditional dating system to the modern dating system – the Gregorian calendar – that is widely used around the world today. Some states adopted the new calendar from 1582, some did not do so before the early twentieth century, and others did so at various dates between. A few still have not, but except for these, the Gregorian calendar is now the world's civil calendar universally, although in many places an old style calendar remains used in religious or traditional contexts. During – and for some time after – the change between systems, it has been common to use the terms "Old Style" and "New Style" when giving dates, to indicate which calendar was used to reckon them.

References

  1. "Why does the year start on January 1". Britannica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  2. Stabej, Jože (1966). "Ob petstoletnici škofjeloškega zapisa slovenskih imen za mesece" [On the 500th Anniversary of the Škofja Loka Recording of Slovene Month Names]. Loški razgledi (in Slovenian). Muzejsko društvo Škofja Loka [Museum Society of Škofja Loka]. 13. ISSN   0459-8210. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08.
  3. The History of Rome, volume 4, The Revolution, ISBN   1-4353-4597-5, page 4
  4. Stevans, C. M.; Daniels, Cora Linn (2003). Encyclopædia of superstitions, folklore, and the occult sciences of the world : a comprehensive library of human belief and practice in the mysteries of life. Honolulu: University Press of the Pacific. p. 744. ISBN   9781410209153 . Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  5. "January Birth Flower : Flower Meaning". birthflowersguide.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06.
  6. "January Birth Flowers".
  7. "January National Codependency Awareness Month". Diane Jellen. Archived from the original on 2015-01-05.
  8. "January is National Healthy Weight Awareness Month : Importance of Physical Fitness". usphs.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-02-15.
  9. "Presidential Proclamation—Stalking Awareness Month". whitehouse.gov . 21 December 2010. Archived from the original on 2017-01-27 via National Archives.
  10. 1 2 Chase's Calendar of Events 2013. The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2013. ISBN   9780071813334. Archived from the original on 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  11. "JANUARY 2009, AS "CALIFORNIA DRIED PLUM DIGESTIVE HEALTH MONTH"". Office of the Governor, State of California. November 20, 2008. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  12. Hirsch, J. M. (August 18, 2004). "Food turns eating into stream of holidays". Associated Press via Kentucky New Era.
  13. Rem, Kathryn (March 9, 2010). "Yesterday was National Crabmeat Day and you missed it". The State Journal-Register . Archived from the original on March 4, 2013.
  14. Gavilan, Jessica (February 7, 2006). "Mark your calendar". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  15. "The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared unconstitutional the day of RS". b92.net. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2016.