Editing Janus (section)

=== Beginning of the year ===
The winter solstice was thought to occur on 25 December. On 1 January was [[New Year's Day]]: the day was consecrated to Janus since it was the first of the new year and of the month (kalends) of Janus: the ''feria'' had an augural character as Romans believed the beginning of anything was an [[omen]] for the whole. Thus on that day it was customary to exchange cheerful words of good wishes.<ref>Ovid ''Fasti'' I 178–182.</ref> For the same reason everybody devoted a short time to his usual business,<ref>Ovid above 166–170.</ref> exchanged dates, figs and honey as a token of well wishing and made gifts of coins called ''strenae''.<ref>Ovid above 187–190; Pliny ''Naturalis Historia'' XXIII 3, 13; Martial VIII 33; XIII 27.</ref> Cakes made of spelt (''far'') and salt were offered to the god and burnt on the altar.<ref>Ovid ''Fasti'' I 127-8.</ref><ref>L. Schmitz in W. Smith ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' s.v. Ianus II p. 550-552 London 1890.</ref> Ovid states that in most ancient times there were no animal sacrifices and gods were propitiated with offerings of spelt and pure salt.<ref>Ovid ''Fasti'' I 337-8.</ref> This ''{{lang|la|libum}}'' was named ''{{lang|la|ianual}}'' and it was probably correspondent to the ''summanal'' offered the day before the Summer solstice to god [[Summanus]], which however was sweet being made with flour, honey and milk.
[[File:Ianus ianuarius.jpg|thumb|The month of January is named after Janus.]] 
Shortly afterwards, on 9 January, on the ''{{lang|la|feria}}'' of the [[Agonium]] of January, the [[rex sacrorum]] offered the sacrifice of a ram to Janus.<ref>Ovid above 334.</ref>