January is the first month in the Gregorian calendar. At least 125 sovereign nations celebrate New Year’s Day as a public holiday.
The name January was derived from the Latin “Januarius Mensus“, or the month of Janus. In the old Roman year, it was a festival month honoring Janus, the god of gates and doorways. Janus is depicted on coins and works of sculpture as a deity with two faces, one looking into the past, the other into the future. Janus is associated in mythology with new beginnings for all human enterprises.
The month has 31 days and two official flowers. The chief flower is the carnation and the snowdrop is the alternate. The birthstone is the garnet.
…from Gregory, Ruth W. Anniversaries and Holidays, Third Edition;. Chicago: American Library Association, 1975.
Celebrations this month:
- New Years Day on the 1st
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20th
- Australia Day on January 26th
- National Bath Safety Month
- National Blood Donor Month
- National Book Month
- National Braille Literacy Month
- National Eye Care Month
- National Hobby Month
- Hot Tea Month
- National Oatmeal Month
- National Soup Month
- National Thank You Month
January in Other Languages
- Chinese (Mandarin) – yiyuè
- Danish – januar
- Italian – gennaio
- Latin – Ianuarius
- French – janvier
- Spanish – enero
According to the Chinese horoscope, the Snake is the animal sign of 2025. The date of the Chinese New Year in 2025 is Jan 29th.
Per Wikipedia: According to tales and legends, the beginning of the Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains) during the annual Spring Festival. The Nian would eat villagers, especially children in the middle of the night. One year, all the villagers decided to go hide from the beast. An old man, appeared before the villagers went into hiding and said that he would stay the night, and would get revenge on the Nian. All the villagers thought he was insane. The old man put red papers up and set off firecrackers. The day after, the villagers came back to their town and saw that nothing had been destroyed. They assumed that the old man was a deity who came to save them. The villagers then understood that Yanhuang had discovered that the Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises. So the tradition grew that when New Year was approaching, the villagers would wear red clothes, hang red lanterns, and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. After that, Nian retreated to a nearby mountain. The name of the mountain has long been lost over the years
The Snake is the sixth sign from the 12 animals cycle of the Chinese Astrology. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. The Snake, clever and strategic, coiled around the Horse’s hoof, managing to finish the race ahead of the Horse and claim sixth place. The Snake represents wise and intuitive energy. The Snake, symbolizing wisdom and transformation, offers opportunities for personal growth and change. Snakes are known in the zodiac for their wisdom, intuition, and mystery. Naturally strategic, they are excellent problem-solvers and skilled communicators.
The state of Georgia was admitted January 2, 1788.
The state of Alaska was admitted January 3, 1959.
The state of Utah was admitted January 4, 1896.
The state of New Mexico was admitted January 6, 1912.
The state of Connecticut was admitted January 9, 1888
The state of Michigan was admitted January 26, 1837.
The state of Kansas was admitted January 29, 1861.