Facts About The Month Of January.

FACTS ABOUT THE MONTH OF JANUARY.

                                                                 Gemstone: Garnet.

                                                                 Flower: Carnation.

This is the start of the New Year and when we make our New Year Resoloutions.

January was the first month of the year in the Roman Calendar , named after Janus he was the “spirit of the opening” Janus is Latin for Door.

The Anglo Saxons called this month "Wolf Monarth" because it was the time of the year when the Wolfs came into the Villages in search of food.

New Years Day is the first day of the year in the Gregorian callendar, it is a time for looking forward and hoping that the new year brings good health and happiness. It is celebrated all over England with singing, dancing, fireworks and parties. The celebrations begin on New Years Eve, the last day of the Old Year and carry on through the night with everyone waitng for Midnight when the Old Year go'es out and the New Year come's in.

New Year Superstions.

January 1st was a significant day in Medieval Times, it was a day when many superstions were thought to take place regarding the good and bad fortunes that would befall you and others in the year ahead.

The Door Custom or “First Footing”.

It was once customary that as soon as Midnight had passed, people would wait behind their doors for a dark haired person to arrive. The visitor would bring with them a piece of Coal, some Bread, Money and Greenery. These were to bring Good Luck on everyone in the house during the coming year, the Coal was to ensure that the house would stay warm, the Bread to make sure there was always food on the table, the Money was to make sure that there would be enough through the year and the Greenery was to ensure that they had a long life. On leaving the house the visitor would take some ashes from the fire to signfy the parting of the old year.

Another custom in the Farming Community in days gone by was the custom of putting a flat cake on one of the horns of a cow in the farmyard. The farmer and his workers would then sing and dance around the cow until the cake fell to the ground. If it fell in front of the cow it meant good luck in the year ahead but if it fell behind it meant bad luck would follow.

January 2nd was believed by the Saxons to be one of the unluckiest days in the year. It was thought by them that any child born on this day could expect to die of an unpleasent death.

January is normally the coldest month of the year and regulary produces Frost's, Snow and Ice.

January 13th is Saint Hilary's Feast Day and is considered to be the coldest day of the year because history has shown over many years that on or around this day many of the coldest events recorded have taken place. One of the severest winters to have taken place was in the year 1205 and it began around this day, it was so cold that the River Thames froze over and Ale and wines froze solid and were sold by weight. The cold spell and Frosts lasted until the 20th of March.

In the year 1086 another great frost also started to spread across the whole of England on this day.

Frost Fairs.

During the winters of 1550-1750 the climate in Britian during the winter months was so cold that it was called the “Little Ice Age”. During these winters the River Thames regulary froze over for two or three months at a time and in 1608 the people in London held the first Frost Fair on the frozen river. There were tent's and sideshows, food stalls, skating and bowling events taking place as well as many other winter actvities. The last of the Frost Fairs took place in the winter of 1814.

First New Moon Customs.

When the first New Moon of the year arrived there were many customs that used to take place, many of which revolved around foretelling your prospects of marriage if you were a young lady.

These included looking through a New Clean Silk Handkerchief at the Moon and depending on how many moons you could see, was the number of years it would be before you got married but it was considered bad luck to look at the New Moon through a window. It was also said that if you stood with your legs apart over a Style or Gate on the night the first new moon appeared and while looking at it you recited this rhyme you would dream of your future husband.

All hail to thee moon, all hail to thee,

I prythee, good moon, reveal to me,

This night who my husband shall be.

                                                    Other Festivals and Traditions.

Twelfth Night.

The Twelfth Night marks the end of the Christmas Festivities.

Epiphany or The Twelfth Day.

The twelfth day of Christmas, the day we celebrate the vist to see baby Jesus by the Magi ( the three wise men)

January 7th. St Distaff's Day.

This was the day when women had to return to work after the Christmas holiday period.

Plough Monday.

Plough Monday was the name given by country folk that came after the Twelfth Night when they returned to work.

January 17th. Wassailing Night.

Wassil comes from the Old English Word of “waes hael” which means “be well”. It is an old Saxon custom and it involved the people going from door to door singing like Carol Singers but they were called “Wassailers”.

The Wassil was an Ale-based drink that was seasoned with Spices and Honey, it was carried by the “wassilers” from door to door where they would sing a “waes hael” song and offer it to the people of the house and wish them well for the coming year. In return the people of the house would give them a drink, money and Christmas Fare ( food ) so they would receive the good luck they gave them.

In other parts of the country "Apple Tree Wassailing" took place. This ceremony involves drinking to the good health of the Apple Trees so that they would produce and bare a good crop. The whole procedure includes blessing the roots of the tree with cider, sprinkling some Wassil over the branches and generally making loud noises to frighten the Demons away and wake up the Sleeping Tree Spirit. These celebrations still take place in many parts of the country where they attract visitors from all over the world to watch and join in the spirit of the event.

January 25th. Burns Night.

The people of Scotland honour their greatest poet “Robert Burns” on this night. It is celebrated with a meal of a Haggis and is washed down with Whiskey.

Anniversaries.

January 1st New Years Day.

The Bbc began broadcasting in 1927.

January 4th. Louis Braile was born in 1809. He invented the Braile system of reading for the blind.

January 9th. Income Tax was introduced.

January 11th. Charring Cross Railway Station opened in London in 1864.

January 17th. Robert Scott reached the South Pole.

January 25th. Robert Burns was born in 1759.

January 26th. Australia Day.

January 27th. Mozart was born.

January 2th. The first of the Victoria Cross Medals was cast from the metal melted down from the guns captured in the Crimea.