British Life and Culture by Mandy Barrow
Welcome to January, the very first month of the year! After all the excitement of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, January often feels like a fresh start. It’s a time for new beginnings, making plans, and looking forward to the year ahead. In Britain, January is a month of winter beauty, unique traditions, and the quiet promise of spring.
The name ‘January’ comes from ancient Roman times. It is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways, and endings. Janus is often shown with two faces – one looking forwards to the new year, and one looking backwards at the old year. This is why January is such a perfect name for the month that bridges the old and new years, allowing us to reflect on what has passed and anticipate what is to come!
In Britain, January is typically the coldest month of the year. The days are short, and the nights are long, but after the shortest day in December, the days slowly start to get longer again. Even though it’s cold, January can be very beautiful, especially if it snows and everything is covered in a sparkling white blanket. It’s a month where we often spend more time indoors, cosy and warm, but there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate and enjoy the start of the year.
The biggest celebration in January is New Year’s Day on the 1st. Many people stay up late on New Year’s Eve (31st December) to watch fireworks displays and count down to midnight. When the clock strikes twelve, everyone shouts “Happy New Year!” and often sings “Auld Lang Syne”, a famous Scottish song about old times and friendship. New Year’s Day itself is a public holiday in the UK, meaning most schools and workplaces are closed. It’s a time for family, friends, and often making New Year’s Resolutions – promises you make to yourself for the year ahead, like eating more fruit or trying a new hobby!
In Scotland, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are part of a huge celebration called Hogmanay. It’s a very important festival with unique traditions like ‘first-footing’, where the first person to cross the threshold of a home after midnight brings good luck for the year ahead, often carrying a piece of coal, a shortbread, or a whisky.
Twelfth Night marks the end of the Christmas season. It’s traditionally the day when Christmas decorations should be taken down. If you leave them up any longer, some people believe it brings bad luck! The ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ begin on Christmas Day (25th December) and officially end on Twelfth Night, which is the evening of 5th January, or in some traditions, the day of 6th January, also known as Epiphany.
A very special day in Scotland, and celebrated by many people across the UK, is Burns Night. This day celebrates the life and poetry of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, who was born on 25th January 1759. People gather
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Special Days in December
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Learn about Christmas in England from the children who live in Britain Christmas traditions why do what we do at chrsitmas time
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is the creator of the Woodlands Resources section of the Woodlands Junior website. left Woodlands in 2003 to work in Kent schools as an ICT Consulatant. Woodlands Junior Homework Help new website |
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