Fun Facts

January …

January is named after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gateways — very fitting for a month that looks back at the old year and forward to the new one.

1st January didn’t always mark the New Year in England. Until 1752, the new year officially began on 25 March (Lady Day) in England.

It is usually the coldest month in the UK, though February can sometimes steal that crown.

Snow is more likely in January than December in much of the UK — so a “white Christmas” is rarer than a “white January”.

The shortest day has already passed, and by the end of January the UK gains about an extra hour of daylight compared to mid-December.

Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland often outshine Christmas, with some festivities lasting well into January.

Burns Night (25 January) celebrates Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, with haggis, whisky, poetry, and bagpipes.

Plough Monday, the first Monday after Epiphany, traditionally marked the return to work after Christmas in rural England.

“Dry January” began in the UK in 2013 and has since gone global.

January is famously the month of retail sales, a tradition that dates back to Victorian times.

It’s often called the most common month to change jobs or start new habits in the UK — New Year’s resolutions in full swing!

Parliament traditionally returns from recess in January, making it a month when political news ramps up again after the festive lull.

several major UK laws and tax changes often come into effect in January rather than at the start of the tax year.

The Royal Greenwich Observatory helped make January 1 significant worldwide by establishing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

January is National Storytelling Month in the UK, perfect for dark evenings and cosy nights in.

The birthstone for January is garnet, often associated with protection and friendship.