January, or gennaio in Italian, is the first month of the year and is observed as a time of new beginnings as we also reflect on the previous year. The month is named for the Roman god Janus, who is depicted with two faces so he could view both the future and the past. Today we all use the Gregorian calendar to mark the passing days and months with the exception of the four countries of Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Nepal.

Prior to the reign of Julius Cesear, the calendar in use was based on a lunar year. When Caesar came into power this calendar was three months ahead of the solar year. Working with the astronomer Sosigenes Caesar he ordered a new calendar consisting of 12 months which had a cycle of three years of 365 days, followed by a year of 366 days (leap year).