January

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This article is about the month. For other uses, see January (disambiguation).
"Jan." redirects here. For other uses, see Jan.
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2017

January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the first month to have the length of 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.

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[edit]

January, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

January (in Latin, Ianuarius) is named after the Latin word for door (ianua), since January is the door to the year and an opening to new beginnings. The month is conventionally thought of as being named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology, but according to ancient Roman farmers' almanacs Juno was the tutelary deity of the month.[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 May 1[citation needed] or March 15 until 153 BC, from when they entered 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 január. 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).

January symbols[edit]

Snow in Northern Hemisphere in the month of January
  • January's birthstone is the garnet, which represents constancy.
  • Its birth flower is the cottage pink Dianthus caryophyllus or galanthus.[4]
  • The Chinese floral emblem of January is the Prunus mume.[citation needed]
  • The Japanese floral emblem of January is the camellia (Camellia sinensis).[citation needed]
  • In Finnish, the month of tammikuu means the heart of the winter and because the name literally means "oak moon", it can be inferred that the oak tree is the heart of the grand forest with many valuable trees as opposed to the typical Arctic forests, which are typically pine and spruce. The photograph of a large tree covered with ice against a blue sky is a familiar scene during Finland's winter.
  • The zodiac signs for the month of January are Capricorn (until January 19) and Aquarius (January 20 onwards).

Month-long observances[edit]

January, painting by Leandro Bassano

Food months in the United States[edit]

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

Non-Gregorian observances, 2017[edit]

This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance. All Jewish observances begin on sundown of the day before the date listed and end on sundown of the day listed.

Movable observances, 2017 dates[edit]

This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance. 'Sunday after Christmas: January 1

First Monday: January 2

First Sunday of the year, unless the Sunday falls on January 1, 6, or 7, then January 2: January 2

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

First Friday: January 6

Sunday following January 6: January 8

Monday after January 6: January 9

Second Monday: January 9

13th of the month falling on a Friday: January 13

Friday before third Monday: January 13

Second Saturday: January 14

Third Sunday: January 15

Third full week of January: January 15-21

Third Monday: January 16

Wednesday of the third full week of January: January 18

Friday between January 19–25: January 20

Third Friday: January 20

Last week of January: January 22-28

Fourth Monday: January 23

Last Saturday: January 28

Last Sunday: January 29

January 30 or the nearest Sunday: January 29

First Week of February: January 29-February 4

Monday Closest to January 29: January 30

Last Monday in January

Fixed observances[edit]

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

References[edit]

  1. ^ H.H. Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic (Cornell University Press, 1981), p. 51.
  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. 
  3. ^ The History of Rome, volume 4, The Revolution, ISBN 1-4353-4597-5, page 4
  4. ^ "January Birth Flower : Flower Meaning". birthflowersguide.com. 
  5. ^ "January National Codependency Awareness Month". Diane Jellen. 
  6. ^ "January is National Healthy Weight Awareness Month : Importance of Physical Fitness". usphs.gov. 
  7. ^ "Presidential Proclamation--Stalking Awareness Month". whitehouse.gov. 
  8. ^ a b Chase's Calendar of Events 2013. The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2013. ISBN 9780071813334. 
  9. ^ "JANUARY 2009, AS "CALIFORNIA DRIED PLUM DIGESTIVE HEALTH MONTH"". Office of the Governor, State of California. November 20, 2008. 
  10. ^ Hirsch, J. M. (August 18, 2004). "Food turns eating into stream of holidays". Associated Press via Kentucky New Era. 
  11. ^ Rem, Kathryn (March 9, 2010). "Yesterday was National Crabmeat Day and you missed it". The State Journal-Register. 
  12. ^ Gavilan, Jessica (February 7, 2006). "Mark your calendar". The Gainesville Sun. 
  13. ^ http://www.hellenion.org/calendar/2017/2017HellenionCalendar.html
  14. ^ http://nepalicalendar.rat32.com/index.php?year=2073&month=Magh&dowhat=nepali-calendar-horoscope-game-download-unicode-new-year-mobile-calendar&view=a8abb4bb284b5b27aa7cb790dc20f80b
  15. ^ http://bahaiblog.net/site/bahai-calendar/
  16. ^ http://www.hellenion.org/calendar/2017/2017HellenionCalendar.html
  17. ^ http://www.hellenion.org/calendar/2017/2017HellenionCalendar.html
  18. ^ "The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared unconstitutional the day of RS". b92.net. Retrieved 9 January 2016. 
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