Wishing you a Happy New Year!

January is named after the Roman god Janus, protector of gates and doorways. Symbolically two-faced, looking to the past and the future. This is the time of year for resolutions to fulfill through the coming year and reflect on those that happened or not in the past. Tradition New Year's meal in the South in the USA HOPPIN JOHN!

Twelfth Night on January 5^th will make the end of Christmas according to Celtic tradition, January 6th is Epiphany according to the New Testament’s Gospels, January 17^th is Benjamin Franklin’s birthday, January 20^th we observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and January 29^th is the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Just for fun days:

• January 1: Z Day (On this day, those whose last name begins with “Z” get to go first instead of last.)
• January 3: National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day
• January 6: National Bean Day
• January 8: Elvis Presley’s Birthday
• January 10: National Houseplant Appreciation Day
• January 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day
• January 20: National Penguin Day
• January 22: National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
• January 29: National Puzzle Day

Sporting events during this month will include NCAA football and NBA action. We like NCAA wrestling, especially the Nittany Lion in action!  

For most of us in the Northern Hemisphere January is the coldest month in many regions.

The birthstone is the garnet. Carnations and Snowdrop the birth flowers. Weather folklore foretell “fog in January brings a wet spring; a favorable January brings a good year; if grass grows in January, it will grow badly the whole year; a summerish January, a winterish spring.” Hope you got to enjoy “Hoppin John” on January 1^st.

Source: https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore