January, a winter month in the northern half of the world and a summer month in the southern half. January is the first month in the Gregorian calendar and has 31 days. The name January comes from Janus or Ianus, the Roman god of passage and new beginnings. Iānus is Latin and means arched gateway. It is related to the word Janitor, which initially meant “Keeper of the Gate.”
All the gates of ancient Rome were under the care of Janus and because there is a lot of coming and going through gates, Janus had two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. On New Year's Eve, we look back at the year gone by and make resolutions for the coming year.
Astronomical Events in January 2023
Earth’s Perihelion: On January 4, 2023 the Earth will reach its perihelion—the point on its orbit closest to the Sun. Currently, the date is always roughly two weeks after the December solstice. Interestingly, we're closest to the sun in the winter and farthest away in the hot summer.
Wolf Moon: The first Full Moon of the year is colloquially known as Wolf Moon in many northern cultures. In some cultures, it was known as Old Moon, Ice Moon, Snow Moon, and the Moon after Yule.
January Birthstone and Birth Flowers
According to tradition, the birthstone for January is the garnet, representing constancy. Its birth flowers are the cottage pink and the snowdrop. I love snowdrops. They may look fragile and dainty, but that’s far from the case. These pretty white flowers are tough little things and are one of the only flowers that thrive in winter.
Zodiac Signs in January
Capricorn (Goat): December 22 - January 19. Capricorn is a cardinal sign, meaning he's motivated, ambitious, and a great leader, but he's also an earth sign, which makes him practical, productive, and über dependable. My dad is a Capricorn and this describes him to a T.
Aquarius (Water-bearer): January 20 - February 18. My daughter, who brought so much warmth to our family on a bitterly cold Aquarius women are smart, independent and friendly. They have great strength that help them to conquer even the most difficult of tasks. They are frank and have strong beliefs, but are also unbiased and tolerant of others viewpoint.
Poetry
The Months
~ Sara Coleridge
January brings the snow,
makes our feet and fingers glow.
February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.
March brings breezes loud and shrill,
stirs the dancing daffodil.
April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daises at our feet.
May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy damns.
June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hand with posies.
Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.
August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.
Warm September brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
Fresh October brings the pheasents,
Then to gather nuts is pleasent.
Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast.
Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.
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