JANUARY

January is named for the Roman god Janus, protector of gates and doorways. Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking into the past, the other into the future. Read more about the 12 months’ names.

Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
Forward I look, and backward, and below
I count, as god of avenues and gates,
The years that through my portals come and go.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet (1807–82)

January was originally the eleventh month, not the first, until at least 153 B.C.

• January 1 is New Year’s Day. While you’re still recuperating from last night’s parties, read about some other new year’s traditions you might not know about.
• January 1 is also Handsel Monday. According to Scottish custom, the first Monday of the new year was the time to give children and servants a small gift (“handsel”), intended to bring good luck.
• The eve of January 5 brings Twelfth Night, an English folk custom that marked the end of Christmas merrymaking, and in ancient Celtic tradition, the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration. On Twelfth Night, it was customary for the assembled company to toast each other from the wassail bowl.
• On January 6 falls Epiphany. According to the New Testament’s Gospels, on this date the Magi—the three wise men or kings—venerated and brought gifts to the infant Jesus. Bake a King Cake with a lucky bean inside!
• January 15 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day (observed) this year and honors the principles of this civil rights leader and Nobel Prize Winner dedicated to nonviolence.
• January 17 is Benjamin Franklin’s birthday. He was not only a world-renowned statesman, inventor, and scientist, but was also fascinated by agriculture.