Around the world, the month of January is observed and celebrated as the first month of the solar year. During this time people prepare for their journey down the list of new resolutions. There is a certain balance taking place in the world during this month, while it’s the coldest month in the Northern Hemisphere, the warm rays of the Sun hit full force in the Southern half of the planet. This balance has begun it’s shift, as the blue marble makes its way back around the sun Mother Nature gently brushes the cold towards the south and the warmth of the sun moves up north.
HISTORY
January is named for Janus (Ianuarius), the god of the doorway; the name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door (ianua) – January is the door to the year. Traditionally, the original Roman calendar consisted of 10 months, totalling 304 days, winter being considered a monthless period. Around 713 BC, the semi-mythical successor of Romulus, King Numa Pompilius, is supposed to have added the months of January and February, allowing the calendar to equal a standard lunar year (355 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).
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 Finnish, the month is called tammikuu, meaning month of the oak, but the original meaning was the month of the heart of winter, as tammi has initially meant axis or core. This month is in Czech called leden, meaning ice month.
January’s birthstone is the garnet.
Its birth flowers: carnations and snowdrops.Source: Wikipedia.com