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Show January Was for Janus, God of New Adventures TllK month of January benrs its name because Janus wan the K'id of the oprninK year. He presided pre-sided over the undertakiriK of any new adventure, and was a Kod known only to the Romans. The Romans adopted January as the first of the year from the reign of their second kintj. Numa Pompillua, who ruled until 072 3. C. Not until the Kighlccnth century was January universally adopted ns the bntiinniiiK of the year. England took the step In 17.rj2, and Sweden In 17.13, but other European countries adopted this New Year's day at an earlier dale; France In l.r,fi4, Holland, Hol-land, Protestant Germany and Russia Rus-sia In 1700. |