Let me tell you about the month of January, named after the Roman God of doors. The name Janus is still common enough today. Back in the first century AD, January was thought to be the door into the new year, but also a door in to the dying embers of the year just past, uniquely straddling the world of old and new. As first month of the Gregorian calendar, January is usually the coldest, wettest, and is traditionally, the most depressing. It’s long, like six other months of the year, has 31 days. But, on the bright side, it begins with New Year’s Day, heralding many visually spectacular pyrotechnical celebrations, with the wealthiest cities around the world trying to out-spectacle each other. Meanwhile, there are still those who go by the Julian calendar, so New Years is actually the 14^th.

From grand celebrations to great depression; January also plays host to what has become known as ‘Blue Monday,’ which is usually the third Monday of the month and claimed to be the most depressing day of the year, while Christmas is now being paid for, bills have to be paid, and the summer seems a long way off. Around 2003, a holiday company made a great point of the day, encouraging depressed workers to book a holiday to look forward to. In Saxon tradition, the 2cd of January is the unluckiest day of the year. Indeed, in the early Saxon period, those that were born on the 2cd would often stage their birthdays on the 3^rd to avoid a lack of guests. The Saxons adopted January, but they had their own, called ‘Wolf Month,’ which sounds more interesting, conjuring images of howling wolves, as they hunt prey amongst the moon-light forests.

Another day of January which we don’t really observe, is Plough Monday. As tradition goes, the start of the agricultural year, often the first Monday after the 6^th (Epiphany) of January. In fact, there are many Christian feasts, such as Feast of annunciation, that are not observed anymore; usually only noted when flicking through next year’s diary.

A January tradition, not Covid19 restriction compliant, was the medieval tradition of wassailing, an antidote to carol singing around Christmas time, but lost prominence to carol singing by the early Victorian period. Essentially, large groups, or small children would go around, knocking on doors, singing songs, while offering a drink form the wassail bowl. The dweller of the property was then expected to show their appreciation by offering gifts and donations. This tradition still continues in a minor form in the counties of England where they produce cedar.

Some days that are declared special days, but I’ve never been sure how or why. Such as the 17^th Jan- Ditch New Year’s Day resolution Day, a day that makes sense, if, after all you have the 31^st of December to make the resolutions, there must be a special day to ditch it. 26^th Jan – Australia Day I get, because it’s celebrating a nation, a people and their shared identity, but 18^th Jan – Winnie the Pooh Day? I like Data privacy Day, held on the 28^th and the Freethinkers Day, held on the 29^th.however, the Insane Answering machine Day on the 30^th or the complete madness of the Backward Day, supposedly celebrated on the 31^st, to rap a hard month off with.

Whereas April is the month of fresh starts, January is often seen as old, tiered and about death. In ‘The Merchant’s Tale’, one of the Twenty-Four Canterbury Tale’s, Geoffrey Chaucer depicts January as a Wealthy knight, who decides he needs an heir to his estates and sets out to look for a suitable wife in his reclining years. He is described as ‘hoor and oolde’, the incarnation of the lack of fruits, growth and baron depiction of the month. Yet, his youthful wife, May, is described as ‘fresshe’ just as the springe and new-like characteristics of her month’s namesake. It’s fair to say that the term, ‘old man January’ sums up the general depiction of the month in the popular culture over the centuries, but the month also plays a pivotal role in the spring to come. There’s planting of garlic, clearing and sewing the crop for the coming harvest. Planning can begin a new with a fresh opportunity to learn from last years failures.

And that’s the way I like to see January; the start of the great challenges to come and the opportunities they bring.

 

 

 

 

PS If you read this in the southern Hemisphere, just turn everything I said 180 degree.