There is a lot to celebrate in January. This is a list of pretty much everything that goes on during this first month of the year. Many of these dates change from year to year. The days that change are marked with this » symbol.

Astronomical Events

• 1 thru 5: Quadrantids Meteor Shower
• 2 » New Moon
• 17 » Full Moon, Wolf Moon, Birch Moon
• 31 » New Moon

Astrological Events

Depending on which astrological system you adhere to, these are the signs that show up in January of 2022. Be aware that some of these dates will vary from year to year. Unlike the Sun signs which might just shift by 1 or 2 days, the dates of the various Moon signs will vary widely from year to year. The same holds true for the Chinese Zodiac. The Celtic Tree Signs are based on an arbitrary system and stay the same from year to year.

Western Astrology

The January Sun begins in Capricorn and finishes up in Aquarius:

• Capricorn: Dec 21 thru Jan 20 » Sun in Capricorn
• Aquarius: Jan 20 thru Feb 18 » Sun in Aquarius

The January 2022 Moon cycles through the signs as follows. You will notice that the Moon might begin the day in one sign and by the end of the day may have moved into another sign, so timing matters if you are wanting to be precise:

• Capricorn: Jan 1 thru Jan 3 » Moon in Capricorn
• Aquarius: Jan 3 thru Jan 6 » Moon in Aquarius
• Pisces: Jan 6 thru Jan 8 » Moon in Pisces
• Aries Jan 8 thru Jan 10 » Moon ins Aries
• Taurus: Jan 10 thru Jan 13 » Moon in Taurus
• Gemini: Jan 13 thru Jan 15 » Moon in Gemini
• Cancer: Jan 15 thru Jan 18 » Moon in Cancer
• Leo: Jan 18 thru Jan 20 » Moon in Leo
• Virgo: Jan 20 thru Jan 22 » Moon in Virgo
• Libra: Jan 22 thru Jan 25 » Moon in Libra
• Scorpio: Jan 25 thru Jan 29 » Moon in Scorpio
• Capricorn: Jan 29 thru Jan 31 » Moon in Capricorn
• Aquarius: 31 thru Feb 2 » Moon in Aquarius

The Celtic Tree Signs in January:

• Birch:  Dec 24 to Jan 20 – Birch Tree Month
• Rowan: Jan 21 thru Feb 17 –  Rowan Tree Month

The Alternative Celtic Zodiac is as follows:

• Apple: Dec 22 – Jan 1
• Fir: Jan 2 – Jan 11
• Elm: Jan 12 – Jan 22
• Cypress: Jan 23 – Jan 31

The Chinese Calendar and Zodiac

According to the Chinese Zodiac we are currently in the Year of the Ox. Each Moon is also assigned a specific animal. Here’s what shows up in January 2022.

• Rat: Dec 7 (2021) – Jan 4 (Chinese Zodiac)
• Rat: Dec 4 (2021) –  Jan 2  (Lunar Calendar – 11th Lunar Month)
• Cow: Jan 5 – Feb  2 (Chinese Zodiac)
• Cow: Jan 3 – Feb 1 (Lunar Calendar – 12th Lunar Month)

Note: The traditional Chinese Astrology birth chart is built by the Chinese Stem Branch Calendar, not the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which I think is really confusing.  Because of a difference in time zones, the lunar months will have different pattern between China and the USA.

Lucky and Unlucky Days

You might want to plan moving, traveling, major purchases, court dates, and weddings around these dates, avoiding the unlucky days and utilizing the lucky ones.

• These are the lucky days in January:
  1, 2, 15, 26, 27 and 28.
• These are the unlucky days in January:
  1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21.

Interestingly, the 1st and the 2nd are both lucky and unlucky.

Fatal Days

Of this first month the opening day
And seventh, like a sword will slay.

Quick Good Luck Chant

Bad luck turn and
Bad luck flee.
Only good fortune
Comes to Me.

Place a pinch of salt on your left shoulder.

January Lore and General Info:

• The Theme For January
• January Celebrations and Rituals
• January Activities and Lore
• January Moon Names
• The Flowers of January

Holidays and Holy Days

Many of the holidays begin on the eve of the night before and end on the eve of the day of. It’s also important to remember that the dates of archaic festivals and feast days may vary widely depending on the source. Some of these dates change from year to year because they are based on the phase of the moon or the days of the week. The days that change are marked with this » symbol.

January 1

• 1: New Year’s Day
• 1: Shichi Fukujin – Seven Deities of Luck Celebration
• 1: Gantan-sai – Shinto New Year Holy Day, see also Shogatsu
• 1: Ethics Day – Day to commit to cultivating personal honor.
• 1: Taos Pueblo Turtle Dance
• 1: Apple Gifting Day
• 1: Daisy Day
• 1: The Circumcision of Jesus
• 1 » Ciwaratri or Siwa Ratri  (Bali) – Night of the god Shiva. A time for contemplation and purification, the Balinese do not sleep for one night.
• 1: Feast of Fools
• 1: Jump Up Day
• 1 thru 3: Kalends of January
• 1 thru 4: Tewa Turtle Dance – celebrating life and the first Creation, when Sky Father embraced Earth Mother and all life was conceived.
•  1 thru 6: Shogatsu/Shinto New Year’s Festival – The Kami (Nature Spirits) of the four directions are honored, and prayers for happiness, good health, and prosperity are made.

January 2

• 2 » Night of Hekate Suppers
• 2: Advent of Isis
• 2: Nativity of Inanna
• 2: Happy Mew Year For Cats (Thomas Roy’s Calendar)
• 2: Mange Loa, also called Breaking of the Cakes, or Jan Case Gateaux

January 3

• 3 » Handsel Monday
• 3 » Plough Monday
• 3 » Distaff Day
• 3: Festival of Pax – alternative date Jan 30
• 3: Snow Day
• 3 » The Noumenia

January 4

• 4: Evergreen Day
• 4 » Celebrating The Agathos Daimon

January 5

• 5 » Little Cold begins (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)
• 5: Festival of Lares Compitales
• 5: Feast of Old Roman Goddess Befana
• 5: Twelfth Night
• 5: Avian Day – Day to honor all creatures of the air and to meditate on Deity manifesting as birds.
• 5: The Voyage of Hathor to see her Seven Sisters
• 5 or 6: Festival of Kore
• 5 and  6: Feast of God Poseidon – dates varied from Dec – Jan

January 6

• 6: Epiphany
• 6: Dia de los Reyes – Three Kings Day
• 6: Haxey Hood (English)
• 6: Taos Pueblo Deer or Buffalo Dance

January 7

• 7: Russian Christmas
• 7: Nativity of Christ
• 7: Genna – Ethiopian Christmas
• 7: Koshogatsu – Shinto rite honoring Goddess Izanami, partner of God Izanagi.
• 7: Feast of Sekhmet – Egyptian New Year’s Day (alternative date Aug 7)

January 8

• 8: Midwives’ Day
• 8 thru 9: The Haloa

January 9

• 9: Agonalia – Festival of Janus (alternative date Jan 11)
• 9: Raud the Strong’s Day

January 10

• 10 » Bodhi Day
• 10: Geraint’s Day (Welsh)
• 10 » Seijin-no-hi – Coming of Age Day

January 11

• 11 and 15: The Carmentalia – Festival of Carmenta

January 12

• 12: The Compitalia
• 12 thru 16: Rustic Dionysia (alternative date Nov 28)

January 13

• 13 » Day of Ekadashi (Hindu)
• 13 thru 25: Mid Winter Blot (Midvetr, Midvetrarblot, Jordblot, Thorrablot, Freyrblot) – Old Norse Mid Winter Feast.

January 14

• 14: Thorrablot
• 14 thru 15: Dondoyaki 
• 14 thru 17 »  Pongal – Festival of Makar Sankranti 

January 15

• 15: Black Christ Festival (Guatemala)
• 15 : Dōsojin Matsuri – Japanese Fire Festival – dates may vary

January 16

• 16: Festival of Concordia
• 16 » World Religions Day – 3rd Sunday in January
• 16 and 17: Old Greek festival in which offerings were made to the Wind Gods of the Eight Directions.
• 16 and 17 » Tu B’shvat – New Year for Trees

January 17

• 17: Good Luck Day – Festival of Felicitas
• 17 thru 20 » Mahayana New Year – starts on the first full moon in January

January 19

• 19: Blessing of the Waters
• 19: Popcorn Day
• 19: Timkat – Ethiopian Epiphany
• 19: Festival of the Lights of Neith

January 20

• 20: World Religions Day
• 20 » Severe Cold begins (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

January 21

• 21 » Thorrablot (Þorrablót)

January 24

• 24: Feriae Sementivae – Blessing the Seeds
• 24: Gold Rush Day
• 24: Festival of Ekeko (Bolivian) – lasts 3 weeks
• 24 thru Feb 6: Iroquois Mid-Winter Ceremony – dates vary, generally the last part of January or the first part of February

January 25

• 25: Burns Supper

January 26

• Jan 26 » Kitchen God Festival (Xiao Nian Festival)

January 27

• 27 » Dakini Day (Tibetan)
• 27 thru Feb 3: Powamu Festival (Hopi) – dates vary, an 8 day festival held around the end of January or beginning of February

January 28

• 28: Daisy Day

January 29

• 29: Gamelion Noumenia – Old Greek festival honoring all the Gods and Goddesses.
• 29: Red Carnation Day

January 30

• 30: Up Helly Aa – Scottish Viking celebration
• 30 thru 31: Feast of the Charities – dates vary widely also listed as  Jan 17 – 18, Apr 18 – 19, May 26, Jul 9 – 10, or Oct 13.
• 30 thru Feb. 2: Februalia

January 31

• 31: Disfest/Disablot
• 31 » Li Chun (Chinese New Year’s Eve)
• 31 thru Feb 3: Old European Lunar New Year – Celebration of the Triple Goddess (Goddess of the Moon and the Seasons) being transformed from the Crone into the Virgin; celebrated with ritual bathing of divine images.
• 31 thru Feb 6 »  Sami Week and Reindeer Race (Norway)
• 31 thru Feb 8: Navajo Sing – Festival in preparation for the coming agricultural season; celebrated with prayer, chanting, dancing, and healing.

Saint Days

There is a surprising amount of magick associated with Saint days This is a very short list of the Saint days in January, there are many many more. As time goes by I may end up listing them all, but for now, this is what I have.

• 2: St Basil’s Day (alternative dates include – January 1, January 10, January 14 or 15, January 30, June 14)
• 13: St Knut’s Day
• 16: St Peter’s Day – also Jun 29
• 21: Eve of St Agnes
• 22: Feast of St Agnes
• 25: St Paul’s Day
• 25: St Dwynwen’s Day

Recipes For January

Many seasonal recipes, including recipes for new and full moon ceremonies, ancient Greek and Roman holidays, Asian festivals and etc. can be found here: Seasonal Recipes.

Notes:

Any January lore, almanac, astrological, and celebration dates that have been shared after this post was published can be found by searching the January posts to see what’s new.

A lot of work went into this post. It was compiled from various sources by Shirley Twofeathers for The Pagan Calendar, you may repost and share without karmic repercussions, but only if you give me credit and a link back to this website. Blessed be.