January Fun Facts.
January is a pivotal period in the Gregorian calendar as it is the month that begins the New Year. January was partly named after Janus, a Roman god of all beginnings. Being the start of a new year, January is when almost everyone draws up their resolutions and plans for the coming months of the year.
A quick January fact to know, is that in many parts of the world people born in January are usually considered to be leaders, this is because the month of January is the very first month of the year and ushers in the new year. It is also the month when millions of people give themselves targets and goals known as new year resolution. It is a month that marks a new beginning as a result everyone wants to take advantage of the new month of January to start afresh. There are lots of January fun facts that we have compiled in this huge list of fun facts about January below so you too can learn something new about the first month of the year.
Just like every other month, January has some myths and history to it. In this article, I’ll be sharing with you fun January facts you need to know about the month of January. Without wasting much of our time, let’s get right into it.
Fun January Facts
- It was an afterthought
Contrary to what many people think, January was not the first month added to the Roman calendar; rather, it was added alongside February as an afterthought to help measure the months by the lunar calendar. This is why December means the “tenth month” while being the 12th in order.
- A month of remembrance
January is said to be a month of remembrance for human rights globally as it was when Adolf Hitler started the Holocaust in Germany. As a result of this, Holocaust Memorial Day is held annually on the 27th of January, to remember all the terrible wrongdoing that took place.
- Dry January
Dry January refers to the period after Christmas that many people dare themselves to stop consuming alcohol or any harmful substance for the whole of January. Surprisingly, it is becoming more and more popular each year and you should try it out next January.
- It was crucial for Ellis Island, US
According to tradition, Ellis Island Day is held on the 1st of January as it is the day when the US first opened its immigration borders in 1892. This act helped to change the makeup of the US positively.
- The 4th day of the month is important
According to ISO 8601: the international standard, the official start of any year is the week that has the 4th of January. This means that if the week ends on Sunday the 3rd, the year hasn’t technically begun until the next Monday, but I don’t think many people follow this.
- How its name came about
January is said to be partly named after Janus who is referred to as the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. This is quite explanatory as that is the beginning of the year.
The other part of January’s name seems to be from the Latin word “ianua” when translated to English, it means “Door” which makes quite some sense as January can be referred to as the door into the new year.
As you can see the name of January doesn’t come from any kind of number which makes it one of the few months to be so. Like I said earlier, it was an afterthought that makes part of the latest months on the Gregorian calendar. You can talk about this as a little fun fact among your friends.
- It has one of the luckiest and unluckiest days
The 1st of January is said to be one of the luckiest days in the year as it is seen as a day for success and prosperity. This is not that surprising as everyone expects the first day of a new year to be full of luck.
However, according to past traditions and beliefs of the Saxon, the 2nd of January is thought to be one of the unluckiest days of the year.
- January Sales
Almost everyone knows about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the other discount deals that come during the Christmas season. Well, January sales are just like one of them but it happens after Christmas. It is a pretty popular event in the UK and seems to have been happening since 1865 which is a very long time ago.
- It is an important time in the US slavery history
January is said to be a very important period in the US’s history of slavery as that was when President Abraham Lincoln approved of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment which all helped to illegalize and put an end to slavery.
- Zodiac Signs
There are two zodiac signs in January and they are Capricorn and Aquarius. So if you’re born during the first 20 days of January, you’re a Capricorn and if you’re born during the last 11 days, you’re an Aquarian.
That’s all about some of the most important fun facts about January, even though the things to learn about the month of January are much there can only be so many compiled into one list of fun facts for January. What we have next are a compilation of some of the most popular and frequently asked questions about the month of January. These questions would also reveal some more interesting and fun facts most people do not know about the month of January.
January FAQs
What is January most known for?
January is mostly known for having the very first day of every new year, which marks another beginning for everyone. January is also known to be the coldest month within the Northern hemisphere while being the warmest in the southern hemisphere.
What things are associated with January?
Some of the things that are associated with January are:
- New Year celebration.
- E-commerce sales and discounts
- Clearance sales by different merchants
- Being the coldest month of the year
- Unlucky day of the year(2nd of January)
What does January stand for?
January stands for new beginning because it is the first month of the year, it is named after the Janus the Roman god of new beginnings.
What are January born called?
January born are called Capricon(Born before 20th of January) or Aquarius(Born after 20th of January), depending on what day of the month they are born.
Why is it called January?
January is called January because it is the first month of the year which was named after the Roman god of new beginnings, Janus.
What major events happened in January 2021?
Major events that happened in January of 2021 are:
- Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
- Second impeachment of Donald Trump.
- Security preparations for the inauguration of Joe Biden.
- 2021 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election.
What flower is a symbol of January?
The follower symbol of January are the snowdrop and theĀ carnation.
What is January birthstone?
The birthstone of January is the garnet.
Is January a special month?
Yes, January is a special month because it marks the start of a new beginning for every single person. You can start to make changes in your life from January and it’ll be easier because everyone is doing same through new year resolutions.
Are January babies smart?
Yes January babies are smart, scientists have conducted several studies with thousands of January born and have come to the conclusion that January babies are smart.
Are January babies beautiful?
Yes, January born babies are usually beautiful and very cute.
What are symbols of January?
Symbols of January are the Ox, the garnet stone with color deep wine red, the carnation and snowdrop flowers the dragon soul symbol.
What flower is the symbol of January?
The flower that is January’s symbol are the Snowdrop flower and the Carnation flower plant.
What is January zodiac color?
January’s Zodiac color are deep red wine color, orange, purple, yellow, vibrant green, brown and gray. These are the January colors according to their Zodiac signs.
What color is January?
January’s color are deep red wine color, orange, purple, yellow, vibrant green, brown and gray. These are the January colors according to their Zodiac signs.
Does January have 2 birthstones?
No, January has one birthstone and that is the Garnet.
What Crystal is January?
The crystal for January is the Garnet crystal.
What is the color and flower for January?
The color and flower for January are the deep red wine and the carnation(alongside the snowdrop flower) respectively.
What does January birthstone mean?
January’s birthstone is the Garnet and it means love and friendship. Love and friendship are both what the Garnet stone represents.
What is January birthstone and flower?
January Birthstone is the Garnet crystal while January flower is the carnation and snowdrop flower.
What does garnet symbolize?
Garnet is known to symbolize love and friendship and it is the zodiac birthstone of January.
Don’t forget to share this January facts article with your friends who want to learn something new about the month of January, especially those born in the first month of the year that want to learn something about their birth month.