By Barbara McAlister
Word of the Day: January
The month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god of gates and doors. Because every doorway looks in two directions, Janus is also known as the two-faced god, because he can see both the future and the past, so he is also considered the god of beginnings and transitions. According to Roman mythology, Janus was present at the beginning of the world. As the god of gates, he had the powerful position of guarding the gates of heaven that held access to other gods. Janus was worshipped in ancient Rome long before other Roman gods and at one time was the main deity at religious ceremonies for weddings births, deaths and harvests.
In the Northern Hemisphere, January is on average the coldest month of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, January is a summer month equivalent to the norht’s July. The presidential inauguration is Jan. 20, unless it falls on a Sunday. Then it’s the following Monday. Martin Luther King Jr was born Jan. 15, 1929, and the third Monday in January is now a federal holiday to honor his life.
There are other less formal days to celebrate this long, cold month. Among those to consider if not this year if the date is passed, then next year, are Fruitcake Toss Day on the first Saturday in January; Festival of Sleep Day, Jan. 3; National Spaghetti Day, Jan. 4; Bubble Bath Day, Jan. 8; Peculiar People Day, Jan. 10; National Rubber Ducky Day, Jan. 13; National Dress Up Your Pet Day, Jan. 14; National Popcorn Day, Jan. 19.
You may decide to celebrate National Cheese Lovers Day or Penguin Awareness Day on Jan. 20, Squirrel Appreciation Day on Jan. 21, or National Pie Day on Jan. 23. You may decide to forego National Kazoo Day Jan. 28, or National Curmudgeon Day Jan. 29, but definitely don’t forget National Word Nerd Day on Jan. 9!
