Show January Was Vas for Janus God of New Adventures THE month of January bears its name because Janus was the god of the opening year ear He pre pre- presIded sIded aided over the undertaking of any new adventure and was a god known only to the Romans The Romans adopted January as the first of the year from the reIgn of their second king Numa Pompi us who ruled until B C Not until the Eighteenth century was January universally adopted as the beginning of the year England took the step in 1752 and Sweden in 1753 but other European countries adopted this New Years Year's day at an earlier date France in 1569 1564 Hol- Hol Holland Holland land Protestant Germany and Rus- Rus Russia Russia sia in 1700 |