A year begins with January and that one happens to be the most interesting fact about January. Everyone waits for a new year, and the first day of a year falls in the month January. Naturally, people set resolutions and also try to equate the balances from previous year. However, January is the first month of the Georgian calendar. Winter was an off-calendar time period in the 700 BC calendar, and years consisted of 304 days. Much later, years were 365 days and January was still the first month of the calendar.
10. The Naming
January as a month; has been named after Roman. He was a Roman God. Back in 700 B.C, a Roman leader named NumaPompilius made January the first month of a 10 month calendar which was 304 days long, and contained no calendar months for the winter season. However, later on 46 B.C; Julius Caesar made January a 31 day month. Winter was still a timeless period.
9. Wolf Month of the Anglo Saxons
Weird it sounds, but the Anglo Saxons actually called January as a Wolf Month. Because in January Winter, the wolves used to come out in human habitation to find food. To mark the time period in calendar, the Anglo-Saxons named it the Wolf Month.
8. Coldest Month in the Northern Parts
The world’s northern parts face the coldest season in the winter, which is right around January. The temperature forces the birds to leave their territory and travel to less colder parts of the world to survive. These birds are called migratory birds and they even travel thousand miles to get a livable environment. The nature remains quite, bears and woodchucks sick hibernation. However, in the southern part of the world the temperature is exactly opposite.
7. January stands between two years
The Roman God Janus had two heads and he could look in both to the past and future – that’s what the legends say. So according to those beliefs, January has become the first month of the year – that’s what many people believe.
6. January 4 is forever in the first week
Every year consists of 52 weeks. Every year’s first week falls in such a combination, that January 4th is in the first week. This has been set by the International Standard Organization (ISO) standard 8601.
5. January in UK
In United Kingdom, January happens to be the coldest month but not over all the parts. The daytime temperature is the contributing fact in being the coldest month. However, for England the February night temperatures are much lower. Scotland doesn’t follow such weather trend, though.
4. League of Nation was formed
January of 1920 was a remarkable month in history, because 10th January marks the beginning of League of Nations. The mission and vision of League of Nations was to make peace prevail among the nations of earth; Paris Peace Conference ended the First World War and also marked League of Nation’s beginning. 26 years later, this organization was named United Nations.
3. Month of many Events
January holds many events. The list includes – National Braille Literacy Month, National Hobby Month, National Blood Donor Month, National Soup Month and National Staying Healthy Mind. All these are good reasons to mark January as a happy beginning of the year.
2. January Sale
January sale is a widespread and popular culture, but definitely not new. It began a long way back, in 1865. The originating country was United Kingdom.
1. The Zodiac Sign
Capricorn and Aquarius fall into the month January.
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The 10 interesting facts are mostly obvious. Yet, being the first month of every new year has its perks.