New Year and Kalendae

While in modern times we celebrate the new year on January 1st, it hasn’t always been this way in the West.

Initially, the ancient Romans celebrated the start of the new year on March 15 because that was the date that state officials took office. The Babylonian New Year was similar in that it was close to mid-March, being that it occurred on the first New Moon after the Spring equinox.

For Rome, the start of the New Year changed under Julius Caesar. In 46 BCE Caesar declared the start of the Roman New Year would be January 1st. 

The beginning of each month was important to the Romans. Known as Kalendae, at the start of each month, the pontiffs (the high priest who governed the lower ranking priests) would announce the number of days until the next month. In addition, debtors had to pay off their debts on this day.

The New Year Kalendae, known as Kalendae Ianuariae, was dedicated to the god Janus since January was named in His honor. In many ways the first three days of the Roman New Year were a continuation of the festivities that began with Saturnalia. It included feasting and gift exchanges. 

 

Echoes of these ancient Roman practices exist today. It’s from the Latin word Kalendae that we get the English word Calendar. And it’s why we recognize January 1st as the start of the new year along with the New Years celebrations and festivities. Although some have tried to change the date for the New Year, they were never successful.

One might say that the influence of the god Janus continues as well. Janus is a liminal god with two faces that look backwards and forwards. We see the spirit of Janus in some of our New Year’s traditions. It’s common in the media to play a recap of the past year with a “Year in Review.” Plus, many people prepare expressions of hope for a better future in the form of “New Year Resolutions.”

Here’s hoping that all my readers have a happy and prosperous 2024.