January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as the day of New Year. It is, on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter) and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer).
January symbols: The birthstone of January is the garnet which represents constancy. Its birth flower is the cottage pink Dianthus caryophyllus or galanthus. In Finnish, the month of tammikuu means the heart of the winter and because the name literally means Oak moon. The zodiac signs for the month of January are Capricorn (until January 19) and Aquarius (January 20 onwards). The traditional English birth month flower is the Carnation.
Year 698 January Holidays in History
1st » Christian Calendar of saints called Feast Day:
1st » Basil of Caesarea called Basil the Great (Eastern Orthodox Church)
1st » Circumcision of Jesus known as Feast of the Circumcision of Christ
1st » Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Lutheranism named Lutheran Church)
1st » Fulgentius of Ruspe
1st » Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Octave (liturgical) e.g Octave Day of Christmas, considered a holy day of obligation in some countries (Catholic Church)
1st » Saint Telemachus named Telemachus
1st » World Day of Peace (Catholic Church)
1st » January 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
1st » Constitution Day (Italy)
1st » Dissolution of Czechoslovakia related observances:
1st » Public holidays in Slovakia named Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
1st » Public holidays in the Czech Republic or Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State (Czech Republic)
1st » Earliest day on which Handsel Monday can fall, while January 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of the year (Scotland)
1st » Public holidays in Taiwan known as Founding Day (Taiwan)
1st » Global Family Day (International observance or International)
1st » List of national independence days e.g Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Brunei from United Kingdom in 1984
1st » Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Haiti from France in 1804
1st » Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Sudan from United Kingdom in 1956
1st » Arbor Day e.g National Tree Planting Day (Tanzania)
1st » Public Domain Day
1st » The eighth Twelve Days of Christmas or day of Christmas (Western Christianity)
1st » The last day of Kwanzaa (United States)
1st » The presidents of Brazil and Switzerland take possession.
2nd » Public holidays in Haiti known as Ancestry Day (Haiti)
2nd » Carnival named Carnival Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
2nd » Christian Calendar of saints called Feast Day:
2nd » Basil of Caesarea named Basil the Great (Catholic Church and Church of England)
2nd » Defendens called Defendens of Thebes
2nd » Gregory of Nazianzus (Catholic Church)
2nd » Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe (Lutheran Church)
2nd » Macarius of Alexandria
2nd » Seraphim of Sarov (repose)
2nd » Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah (Episcopal Church (United States) named Episcopal Church)
2nd » January 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
2nd » The first day of the Riosucio, Caldas Carnival of Riosucio called Carnival of Riosucio, celebrated until January 8 every 2 years. (Riosucio, Caldas or Riosucio)
2nd » The ninth Twelve Days of Christmas e.g day of Christmas (Western Christianity)
2nd » The second day of New Year (a holiday in Kazakhstan, Republic of Macedonia Macedonia, Culture of Mauritius Mauritius, Montenegro, Public holidays in New Zealand New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine):
2nd » Public and Bank holidays in Scotland e.g Bank Holiday, if it is a Sunday, the day moves to January 3 (Scotland)
12th » Earliest day on which Lee-Jackson Day can fall while January 18 is the latest, celebrated on the Friday before Martin Luther King Day. (Commonwealth of Virginia)
12th » Public holidays in Turkmenistan e.g Memorial Day (Turkmenistan)
14th » Flag Day e.g National Flag Day (Georgia (country) called Georgia)
14th » Public holidays in Thailand known as National Forest Conservation Day (Thailand)
14th » Old New Year
14th » Ratification Day (United States)
14th » Sidereal winter solstice celebrations in Southern Asia named South and Southeast Asian cultures; marking the transition of the Sun to Capricorn, and the first day of the six months Uttarayana period. '(see April 14)':
14th » Magh Bihu (Assam)
14th » Maghi (Punjab (India) called Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh)
14th » Makar Sankranti (India)
14th » Maghe Sankranti (Nepal)
14th » The first day of Pongal, a Tamil New Year. (Tamil people or Tamil)
15th » Armed Forces Day Nigeria named Armed Forces Day (Nigeria)
15th » Armed Forces Day India named Army Day (India)
15th » Earliest day on which International Fetish Day can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Friday in January.
15th » Earliest day on which Martin Luther King, Jr. Day can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in January. (United States)
15th » John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)
15th » Hangul Day named Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea)
15th » One of the two Carmentalia, in honor of Carmenta. (Roman Empire)
15th » The second day of the sidereal winter solstice festivals in India '(see January 14)':
15th » Pongal Maattu Pongal named Maatu Pongal, celebrated by performing Jallikattu (Tamil language or Tamil)
24th » St. Timothy and St. Titus, Apostolic men, (commemoration, Anglicanism)
24th » Earliest day on which Saturday of Souls can fall, while February 27 (or 28 during Leap Year) is the latest; observed 57 days before Easter. (Eastern Orthodox)
24th » Feast of Our Lady of Peace (Roman Catholic Church), and its related observances:
24th » 'Feria de Alasitas' (La Paz)
24th » First day of the Sementivae, in honor of Ceres (Roman mythology) called Ceres and Gaia (mythology) called Terra (Roman Empire)
25th » Burns supper called Burns Night (Scotland and Scottish people e.g Scottish community)
25th » Christian Feast Day:
25th » Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul (Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, which concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)
25th » Gregory the Theologian (Eastern Catholic Churches or Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church)
25th » The last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christian ecumenism)
25th » January 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
25th » Scientology holidays or Criminon Day (Scientology)
25th » Earliest day on which the first day of Carnival of Cádiz can fall, while February 28 is the latest; celebrated two Sundays before Ash Wednesday until Ash Wednesday (Cádiz)