The first month of the year in the modern calendar. In many places, it is a winter month and a time for New Year’s celebrations and resolutions.
From Latin “Ianuarius (mensis),” meaning “month of Janus,” the Roman god of beginnings, endings, and doorways. Janus was often shown with two faces, looking both forward and backward. The month named after him marks the doorway between the old year and the new one.
January is literally the month of the two-faced god Janus, who stares into the past and the future at the same time. That fits our habit of making New Year’s resolutions while reflecting on the year behind us. Even the calendar is built around a myth about how humans handle change.
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