With the celebration of Christmas, the year 2025 has now reached its final stage. In a few days, the page of the calendar will turn and a new year will begin with January 1, 2026. Like every time, New Year is considered a symbol of new hopes, new resolutions and new goals. But have you ever wondered where the name of the first month of the year, January, came from and how it started?
Where are the roots of the word calendar found?
In fact, just as the roots of the word calendar are found in ancient Roman civilization, January is also linked to Roman myths. Janus is considered an important god in Roman mythology. He is said to be the god of both past and future. Janus was considered a symbol of time, change, beginning and end.
The most special identity of Janus is his two faces. One face looks towards the past and the other towards the future. In many paintings, one face is shown as old and serious, while the other is young and fair. This duality reflects the balance of the past and the future. For this reason, Janus was considered the god of every new beginning.
In Roman history, the credit for making January the first month of the year goes to King Numa Pompilius. Around 713 BC he made major reforms in the Roman calendar. Numa divided the year into 12 months and declared January the first month, dedicating it to Janus. According to them, the new year will be auspicious only if it begins in the name of Janus, the god of change and balance.
What was the calendar created by the Roman king Romulus?
However, the first calendar created by the Roman king Romulus was quite different. At that time the year started from March and there were only 10 months in total. Approximately 61 days of winter were not included in any month. That means winter time used to pass “without name” in the calendar. Only 304 days were counted in that calendar.
Later Numa Pompilius changed this system and made the calendar more organized by adding January and February. January is considered a symbol of the new year because it acts as a bridge between the end of the old year and the beginning of a new journey.
Even today, January is seen as the month of new plans, new resolutions and change. Like Janus, this month inspires us to look back at the past and move forward into the future. This is why January is not just a month but has become a symbol of new beginnings.
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