January (month)

   January is the first month of the year. The old Roman year began with March. The beginning of the year was shifted to January about 251 B. C., but this arrangement was not accepted by Christian nations until the eighteenth century. The Jewish New Year still falls on March 25th. The month was named in honor of Janus, the god of doors, gates, and all passageways. He was represented in art as a god with two faces, one looking backward, the other forward. New Year's Day was the chief festival in his honor. Presents were then made. The Temple of Janus in Rome was open in time of war. It is said to have been closed but three times in 700 years.