Did you know that originally, January was not even part of the calendar? Yes, you read that right. For centuries, other dates marked the beginning of the calendar which included March 25 and December 25. So how and when did January officially make it to our calendar?
Historical start
As of 700s BCE, the Roman calendar had only 10 months that began with March and ended with December. The first two months we now know of (January and February) were added by King Numa Pompilius during his reign (715-673 BCE) which led to the creation of the 12 months.
The month of January is named after the two-faced god of doors and transitions, Janus.
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In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar brought in further changes through the Julian calendar. Later, as the Roman empire expanded, the Julian calendar also spread but this did not last long because after the fall of Rome in 5th Century CE, several Christian countries made changes to the calendar to make it a reflection of their religion. Hence, March 25 and December 25 became the more common New Year days.
The story does not end here. Later, it came to light that the Julian calendar also needed changes due to a miscalculation of leap years. The effect of this blunder caused many countries to hold events in the wrong season. Issues also arose in determining Easter dates.
The acceptance
It was at this time that Pope Gregory XIII launched the revised calendar in 1582 and made January and February officially part of the Gregorian calendar. Now, January also marked the beginning of the New Year.
This change was initially only welcomed by France, Italy and Spain. Orthodox and Protestant nations did not accept it immediately and neither did Great Britain. However, later in 1752, everyone began using the Gregorian calendar.
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Alternate calendars
In many cultures, even today January 1 does not mark the New Year. Penuel The Black Pen has also explained this in a video on Facebook.
Chinese New Year: It starts with the new moon between late January and late February.
Biblical/Hebrew Calendar: It has two new years for different purposes, as explained in the Tamlud. 'Rosh Hashanah' (Tishrei 1) is for civil matters and is usually in September/OCtober. It is held on basis of year counting and agricultural laws while '1 Nisan' is for religious and festival-related counts (aligns with Exodus from Egypt). '1 Nisan' recognises New Year in March/April.
Islamic New Year: It marks the beginning of the first month, Muharram. In 2026, it is likely around June 16.
Ethiopian New Year: Called 'Enkutatash', this New Year celebration is held on September 11. It uses the Ethiopian calendar and is around 7-8 years behind the Gregorian calendar.
