The Kalends of January is the ancient Roman festival honoring Janus that is often linked with the origins of modern New Year's customs.
The Kalends, or first day, of January marked the opening of the Roman civil year after the calendar reforms associated with Julius Caesar. Romans exchanged good wishes and gifts, decorated homes with greenery, and treated the day as an auspicious beginning. The two-faced god Janus was associated with doors, transitions, and looking backward and forward, making him a natural figure for a new year.
The Latin word “Kalendae” gives English the word “calendar.” The January celebration should not be confused with Saturnalia, a December festival honoring Saturn that involved banquets and role reversals. Nor was every Roman New Year custom identical across all periods: Roman calendars changed, and political or religious reforms altered how dates were observed. The modern January 1 New Year inherits the date through later calendar traditions, but many cultures continue to begin their year on different dates.