New Year's Resolutions • 6 min read

Why is it called January?

Before Julius Caesar, Rome ran a ten-month lunar calendar of 304 days beginning in March. Bryan traces how January got its name and its position, and finds the history more instructive than he expected.

January 8, 2024

First a quote: “ What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year. ” – Vern McLellan

Happy New Year ,

Have you ever wondered why the first month of the year is called January? (Okay, I haven’t spent too much time pondering that topic either… but I did find the answer to the question to be interesting, insightful, and a bit instructive.)

I start my first missive of 2024 with a few key historical bullet points:

In ancient Rome, before Julius Caesar’s time, early calendars were based on a lunar system, consisting of ten months totaling 304 days with the new year beginning in March. They were called Roman Republican Calendars in reference to the political structures of the day.
Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC), was one of the most prominent figures in Roman history and left an indelible mark on the ancient world through his military prowess, political acumen, and complex personal life. He lived and ruled during a period of great political unrest and strife.
Caesar is credited with introducing the Julian calendar to his countrymen in 45 BC, replacing the Roman Republican calendar used at the time. This new calendar was solar based, comprised of twelve months and a total of 365 days… it was the birth of the calendar we still use today.
Caesar is also given credit for strategically naming the first month January after a Roman God named Janus. According to Roman Mythology, the deity was often referred to as the “god of doors and transitions.” Janus is traditionally depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions.

The two faces of Janus are often interpreted as representing the dichotomy of past and future, with one face looking toward the past and the other gazing into the future and what is yet to come.

Janus embodies the idea that reflection on the past and anticipation of the future are interconnected, offering valuable insights for navigating the complexities of life.

According to history, the naming of January as the first month of the Roman calendar was a deliberate and strategic decision by Julius Caesar. By associating January with Janus, Caesar hoped to infuse the new calendar with rich cultural and symbolic meaning. He hoped to connect his rise to power with a message of new beginnings and bring political stability to the land.

I identified three primary lessons from the above:

There are probably several key “change leadership” lessons we can take away from Caesar’s use of symbolism to introduce a new calendar and simultaneously inspire a new direction for the people he desired to lead. Perhaps an opportunity for another article in the future.
Balancing wisdom gained from reflecting on the past, with optimism inspired by anticipating the future is an important reflection technique. This balance can help us make informed decisions, avoid repeating mistakes, and embark on new endeavors with confidence.
The concepts of doorways and transitions illustrate that growth and change are possible through action. As they say, when one door closes, another opens. Doors were seen not merely as physical barriers, but as metaphors for opportunities, choices, and passages from one phase of life to another.

“New Year’s Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change.”

– Sarah Ban Breathnach

As we begin the second week of a new year, we each have the chance to reflect and learn from the past, to open new doors for ourselves and others, and to begin a new year with inspiration, hope, and imagination.

Let’s get started!

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Bonus Quotes Below.

I wish you all a happy new year filled with new adventures, happiness, and humble confidence.

All the very best! Sincerely,

Bryan Yager

“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”

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Bonus Quotes:

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” (person) – Benjamin Franklin
“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.” – Ellen Goodman
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” – Bill Vaughn
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C. S. Lewis
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity, and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce
“Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” – Brad Paisley

Bryan Yager 45+ years developing leaders in Boise, Idaho

About

Bryan has spent more than 45 years developing leaders, in Boise and across the country. If this one landed, he works with organizations on leadership development, coaching, and team workshops, and the same thinking runs through his book, How to Transition Into Leadership.