Happy January!

The first month of the new year is here, and what better way to start the new year than to learn the origin of the word January! Just as many other words, the name of the month finds its origins in Latin, as the word Ianuarius, which translates to Janus (from the Latin: Mensis Ianuarius, the month of Janus). Janus was the ancient Italic god of doorways, beginnings, and endings. If you look at our featured coin, you’ll notice a distinct aspect of the god–the fact that he has two faces, looking both backward and forward simultaneously. The month of January plays a similar role in our calendar, as we are both at the end and beginning of a year–looking back on the previous one, and looking forward to the new one.

Fun fact: January wasn’t always the first month of the year, it was only in 153 BCE during the Roman Republic that this was adopted. Before this, the first month of the year was actually March (Martius)!

Author: Jasmin Holtz