January is the first month of the Gregorian Calendar. This calendar was introduced on October 15, in 1582 by a pope, Gregory XIII, hence, ‘Gregorian’, because of a recognized issue with the length of the Julian calendar that Rome operated under for 1600+ years [since 45BC]. Each year, time would drift for roughly 11 minutes, and after so long, the solar cycle was messed up. They couldn’t keep their ‘feasts’ at the proper time. Gregory fixed it by having the ‘leap year’ system adjusted. This is thus a purely solar calendar.
The Jewish [NOT the Bible’s] calendar first calculated by Hillel II had already created a similar strategy by adding an ‘intercalated month’ seven times every 19 years. This calendar is based on the lunar ‘months’, which is close to what the Bible prescribes for tracking time, but it is mathematically synchronized with the solar calendar, instead of using the actual signs of the seasons, as God instructs. This calendar was not a worldwide standard among the Jews until the 10th century AD, having been first formulated in 359 AD. But, it did precede the Gregorian calendar.
Gregory maintained “Janus” as the God of the New Year. He, as ‘pope’, had every opportunity to make the calendar more Biblical, but instead, maintained the pagan, Roman tradition of starting the new year in “January”, when Rome’s god Janus ‘looked back’ and ‘looked ahead’, seen in the picture above. Janus had two faces, and one of the features of the deity was looking back to survey the last twelve months. Rome had long been celebrating the ‘Festival of Janus’ called ‘The Kalends of Janus’, or “The Announcement of Janus”, the Roman god of ‘beginnings’, ‘transitions’, ‘gates’, and ‘doors’. Romans prayed to Janus on this day, hoping for good fortune to come by seeking the favor of the god who could look forward for them. It is then, in Rome, when the idea of changing oneself was originated: they would make a vow to Janus [resolution] during their prayers to him, to be a better person in the coming year. This was often done around a fire, in order to welcome and light the incoming year, and was an extension of the celebration of Saturnalia, associated with the xmas season. In order to make the vow to Janus [votum], a sacrifice of cakes, wine, and/or animals to Janus was required either at the gate of the city, or in the Temple. The gates of Janus’ temple in Rome were opened in times of war, but closed in times of peace, since Janus also had a connection to war.
The idea of keeping a celebration on the ‘eve’ of the new year marked by Janus is very ancient, and was a time of ritual cleansing and purification, and feasting, drinking and revelry. ‘Toasting’ goes back to Ancient Rome, where at these feasts the Romans [and greeks, and many other cultures] would lift the wine, say a prayer to a deity of their choice [Janus on January 1], and pray for good fortune. Often, this would be ‘salutem’ in Rome, which meant ‘health’. In later times, ‘toast’ was added to the wine in small bits to soak up the acidity of the wine for better taste. That’s where the custom got its name.
These ideas carried over in the Roman-Catholic dominated world. “Auld Lang Syne” is probably the most famous ritual in European and American culture. It is a song composed by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. While not utterly pagan, it has its theme rooted in the Janus concepts: looking back is “old long since”, which is probably better rendered ‘days gone by’, where the song compels the singers to look back on the year and remember. The idea of looking back is a clear echo of the traditions of Janus, especially when coupled with the notion of making a vow going forward, and having a ‘new beginning’, often around a fire.
All of this combined with similar rites from Germanic and Celtic cultures, where the ‘yule log’ was burned at the winter solstice, marking the ‘rebirth’ of the Sun god.
Yes, today’s celebrations are less religious and more secular. However, the practice is clearly pagan, especially that of ‘looking back’ and ‘vowing’ to have a better new year. The idea, in and of itself, is not unreasonable, except that God has a different calendar, which He established in Genesis 1, and then adjusted for His Rites of Worship in Exodus 12, creating a sacred calendar for us to follow, which sets the dates of everything Yeshua did to mark the significant things He accomplished on our behalf: dying at Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month, being entombed on the 15th day, rising from the dead on the day of the first wave-sheaf offering of firstfruits, and sending the Holy Spirit [Ru’akh HaKodesh] on the 50th day of first fruits.
What Yeshua has yet to accomplish at His return is to start a New Year off by blasting a Shofar on “Yom Teru’ah” to call His Bride home, the marking of the 7th biblical month on the sacred calendar, as the beginning of the end, and the marking of the 1st biblical month on the civil calendar for tracking prophecy. But, the time of ‘renewal’ is marked first in the seventh biblical month. The seventh month is the fall harvest, and we mark the celebration of the CREATION OF THE WORLD, as this was the first month of all time, and is the month in which Adam was created; the renewal starts here, when things are harvested and die, and goes up until the Passover at the beginning of Spring, when things begin to live again. This is when God instructed Moshe that the very beginning of Spring would be the first month for tracking His feasts. So, our renewal must begin with our own ‘dying to self’. “I die daily,” [ 1 Cor 15:31] that Messiah might live in me.
We, as believers in Messiah, are supposed to be renewed EVERY DAY. We are not to make promises [vows] we cannot keep and attempt to change in our own power. We are to be renewed in Messiah Yeshua by our submission to God and allowing His Spirit to change us through our humility and trust in Him and His blood.
We are not supposed to be those who ‘look back’ like Lot’s wife. We are supposed to be moving forward:
18Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 20The beasts of the field shall honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My elect; 21the people which I formed for Myself, that they might tell of My praise. ~ Isaiah 43
Paul echoed this sentiment to the believers at Filipi:
13My brethren, I do not consider that I have reached the goal [perfection in Messiah, resurrection]; but this one thing I do know, forgetting those things which are behind, I strive for those things which are before me; 14I press on toward the goal to receive the prize of victory of the highest calling of God through Yeshua the Messiah. ~Fil 3
So, scriptures encourage us to forget, and not to look back. Our renewal comes from Messiah, which is what the world seeks at this time through revelry, and today, calling on the god of self versus calling on Janus or another ancient, pagan deity. But, we are instructed to be renewed daily by the power of God:
3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, misled, and serving various lusts and passions, living in malice and envy, hated and also hating one another. 4But after the goodness and kindness of God our Savior was manifested, 5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit/Sacred Breath [The Ru’akh HaKodesh], 6which He shed on us abundantly, through Yeshua the Messiah, our Savior, 7that being justified in His compassion, we should be made heirs to the hope of Life Eternal [Khayei Olam]. ~ Titus 3
16For this reason, we do not grow weary; for though our outward man perishes, yet the inner man is renewed day by day. ~ 2 Cor 4
22lay aside all your former practices, that is to say, the old man, which is degenerated with deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the Breath/Spirit [Ru’akh] that you know, 24and put on the new man, who is created by God in righteousness and true sacredness. ~ Eph 4
2Do not imitate the way of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may discern what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. ~ Rom 12
Notice how in all the verses above our renewal is in the passive voice, meaning that it is being done to us, we are not ‘forcing’ it or ‘vowing’ it on ourselves? Because our renewal comes to us by submitting to the will of God in all things.
So, these are the reasons that today and tomorrow are just another passing of time on the calendar, where the world is adopting ancient, manmade ideas to try to make life better and deal with its troubles, seeking a brief respite from its struggles. My respite is in Messiah Yeshua, and it is every day that I set my mind on Him, and endeavor to submit to His will [Col 3:2].
Further, I take the mandate coming from our Father’s own lips very seriously:
“Inquire not after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations used to serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.’ 31You shall not do so unto יהוה your God; for every abomination to יהוה , which He hates, have they done unto their gods…” ~ Deut 12