January

January, the first month of the year. Specifically, first month of the year in our present, Gregorian, calendar. While we might think of January as snowy, bleak and cold, the Romans considered it “dead.” The Roman lunar calendar had 12 “months” but the two winter months didn’t even have names. The government and army weren’t active during that time of the year so it was as if the time was “dead.”

Eventually the time was given names, Januarius and Februarius but they were the last two months of the year. The Roman year started in Martius (our March). Named for Mars the god of war, the year started then because armies were going back to war. The months had varying lengths over the centuries, plus too many days. So eventually, the calendar was out of sync with the solar equinoxes.

By 1582, the Roman Catholic Church had become involved in order to sort out exactly when Easter should be. With a Papal Bull, Pope Gregory VIII changed the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. He had no civilian authority, the bull had legal affect only on the Roman Catholic Church. However, the Catholic world followed the Roman Catholic Church and began using the new calendar.

More slowly, over three centuries, the rest of the world followed. During those centuries, if you traveled in Europe, you could move ahead, or behind 10 days on the calendar as you crossed borders.

The actual change occurred in October when there were no major church holidays. The 5th of October 1582 was followed by the 15th of October 1582.

By the time England and the American colonies switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar they had to remove 11 days from September in 1752. Some places in England experienced rioting because of the calendar change. When Turkey became the last country to switch to the Gregorian calendar, they lost 13 of the days in January of 1926.

In that long ago past, January was named for the Greek God Janus. Janus had two faces so he could look forward into the future of the new year and backward into the past of the old year. He was also the god of gates, doors and passageways.

The birthstone for January is the garnet. We associate garnets with the color red but rarer types can come in many other colors. The garnet is both the traditional and modern birthstone for January. Wearing one is said to bring luck, love and friendship to those born in January.

Two flowers are associated with the month of January. The carnation symbolizes admiration and love. Snow drops, who push up through the snow, symbolize hope and rebirth.

Those born in the first of January, before January 19th, are Capricorns. Those spirited individuals are both persistent and patient. The other sign of the month is Aquarius. Responsibility and generosity mark those born under this sign.

January’s color is white – crisp and clean white. Fairness and wholeness are associated with white and it brings peace and calm.

According to the Celtic tradition, the birch tree is the tree of January. The birch is strong and can withstand hardship. It is said to be the first to regrow after a forest fire. People born under this sign see possibilities and make great leaders as they think on their feet.

In the Native American tradition, the full moon of January is the Wolf moon as wolves are often heard howling at this time. As it is often the coldest month of the year, other names for the full moon are Frost Exploding Moon or Hard Moon. You can see January’s full moon on Thursday, January 28th.

For those of us not born in January, it is still “Oatmeal Month” and “Soup Month” and my favorite, “Hot Tea Month!