January is named for
Janus
, the
Roman
god
of
doors
and
gates
.
January and
February
were put on the
calendar
after all the other months. This is because in the original Roman calendar,
winter
did not have months. Although
March
was originally the first month, January became the new first month because that was when people chose the new
consuls
(Roman leaders). The month has 31 days.
January is a
winter
month in the
Northern Hemisphere
and a
summer
month in the
Southern Hemisphere
. In each
hemisphere
, it is the seasonal equivalent of
July
in the other.
Perihelion
, the point in its orbit where the
Earth
is closest to the
Sun
, also occurs in this month, between
January 2
and
January 5
. January is the only month of the year that always has a "twin" - a month that both begins and ends on the same day of the week as it does. In a common year, this is
October
, and in a leap year,
July
.
January begins on the same day of the week as
October
in
common years
and on the same day of the week as
April
and
July
in
leap years
. January ends on the same day of the week as
February
and
October
in
common years
and on the same day of the week as
July
in
leap years
.
Every year, January both starts and finishes on the same day of the week as
May
of the previous year, as each other's first and last days are exactly 35 weeks (245 days) apart.
In common years immediately before other common years, January starts on the same day of the week as April and July of the following year, and in leap years and years immediately before that, September and December of the following year. In common years immediately before other common years, January finishes on the same day of the week as July of the following year, and in leap years and years immediately before that, April and December of the following year.
January's flower is the
carnation
with its
birthstone
being the
garnet
.
The first day of January is called
New Year's Day
. It is said that it became this date when Roman consuls took office on this day in
153 BC
. Different calendars across
Europe
made this the start of the New Year at different times, as some observed it on
March 25
.
Reaching over from
December
, the
Christmas
season in
Christianity
also extends into this month. Eastern
churches
celebrate
Christmas
on
January 6
or
January 7
, and
Epiphany
on
January 18
or
January 19
- In Western Christianity this occurs on
January 6
, with
Christmas
occurring on
December 25
.
January 1 is celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, that is a feast day of precept of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
.
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