Editing January (section)

== History ==
[[File:Lusenberg-wise-men.jpg|thumb|Adoration of the Magi, Epiphany, January 6]]
[[File:Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Janvier.jpg|thumb|January, from the {{lang|fr|[[Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry]]}}]]

January (in Latin, ''[[Ianuarius]]'') is named after [[Janus]], the god of beginnings and transitions in [[Roman mythology]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1|title=Why does the year start on January 1|publisher=Britannica|access-date=6 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906134927/https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1|archive-date=6 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Traditionally, the original [[Roman calendar]] consisted of 10 months totaling 304 days, winter being considered a month-less period. Around 713 BC, the semi-mythical successor of [[Romulus]], King [[Numa Pompilius]], is supposed to have added the months of January and [[February]], so that the calendar covered a standard lunar year (354 days). Although [[March]] was originally the first month in the old Roman calendar, January became the first month of the calendar year either under Numa or under the [[Decemvirs]] about 450&nbsp;BC (Roman writers differ). In contrast, each specific calendar year was identified by the names of the two [[consul]]s, who entered office on March 15th until 153&nbsp;BC, at which point they started entering office on January 1st.

Various Christian feast dates were used for the [[New Year]] in [[Europe]] during the [[Middle Ages]], including March 25 ([[Feast of the Annunciation]]) and December 25. However, medieval calendars were still displayed in the Roman fashion with twelve columns from January to December. Beginning in the 16th century, European countries began officially making January 1 the start of the New Year once again—sometimes called ''Circumcision Style'' because this was the date of the [[Feast of the Circumcision]], being the seventh day after December 25.

Historical names for January include its original Roman designation, Ianuarius, the [[Saxon people|Saxon]] term ''Wulf-monath'' (meaning "wolf month") and [[Charlemagne]]'s designation Wintarmanoth ("winter / cold month"). In [[Slovene language|Slovene]], it is traditionally called ''prosinec''; the name, associated with [[millet]] bread and the act of asking for something, was first written in 1466 in the [[Škofja Loka]] manuscript.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-93FLIZJH/ |title=Ob petstoletnici škofjeloškega zapisa slovenskih imen za mesece |language=sl |trans-title=On the 500th Anniversary of the Škofja Loka Recording of Slovene Month Names |first=Jože |last=Stabej |journal=Loški razgledi |year=1966 |volume=13 |publisher=Muzejsko društvo Škofja Loka [Museum Society of Škofja Loka] |issn=0459-8210 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108042550/http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-93FLIZJH |archive-date=2014-01-08 }}</ref>

According to [[Theodor Mommsen]],<ref>''The History of Rome'', volume 4, The Revolution, {{ISBN|1-4353-4597-5}}, page 4</ref> 1 January became the first day of the year in 600 [[Ab urbe condita|AUC]] of the Roman calendar (153&nbsp;BC), due to disasters in the [[Lusitanian War]]. A Lusitanian chief called Punicus invaded the Roman territory, defeated two Roman governors, and killed their troops. The Romans resolved to send a consul to [[Hispania]], and in order to accelerate the dispatch of aid, "they even made the new consuls enter into office two months and a half before the legal time" (March 15).