Named for the Roman god Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings, January was originally the 11th month, not the 1st, until at least 153 B.C. Janus looks simultaneously to the future and the past, a fitting symbol for this first day of the year. The weather of the first 12 days of the year is said to be indicative of the following 12 months.
The term "red-letter day" originates with the tradition of marking holy days in a church calendar in red. We use the term here to designate days of special significance in each month -- holidays, astronomical happenings, anniversaries of historic events, and days with memorable folklore attached. Information is drawn from the library of The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Every month you'll find a calendar of these "red-letter days" on the front page of Almanac.com.
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