January is the first month of the year according to the modern Gregorian and Julian calendars and its first day marks the beginning of the year for those calendars. The name January comes from the Latin Ianuarius and is names after the Roman God Janus of doorways.

A Saxon name for January is Wulf-monath (Wolf month)
The full moon of January may be called the Wolf Moon or the Cold Moon.

January Correspondences

Birthstone: garnet
Flower: galanthus, cottage pink dianthus or carnation
Zodiac signs: Capricorn and Aquarius

Fun Facts

January begins the same day of the week as October and ends on the same day of the week as February and October in normal years. During leap years, January begins on the same day of the week in April and July and ends the same day of the week as July.

Divination in January

If January kalends¹ be summerly gay, 'Twill be winterly weather to the kalends of May

If Saint Paul's day (Jan 25) be faire and cleare, It doth betide a happy yeare ; But if by chance it then should rain, It will make deare all kinds of graine; And if ye clouds make dark ye skie, Then neats and fowles this year shall die; If blustering winds do blow aloft, Then wars shall trouble ye realm full oft.

The First New Moon

It is unlucky to look at the first New Moon of the Year through a window.
But if an unmarried person looks at the first new moon through a silk handkerchief that has never been washed so that multiple images can be seen, the number of moons that appear will equal the number of years that will pass before before the person is married.

To dream of your future spouse, stand above a gate or doorway where you can see the first new moon of the year and say: All hail to thee moon, all hail to thee; I praythee good moon, reveal to me; This night who my husband/wife shall be.

Festivals in January

New Year's Day - January 1
Plough Sunday
Lunar New Year

Related Pages

Have something to add, or a question?