# Why does the year begin in January?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-year-begin-in-january/49182>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-year-begin-in-january/49182 "2001-01-09T17:47:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-year-begin-in-january/49182/1 "2001-01-09T17:47:00Z")

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It would make sense for our calendar to correspond to the four seasons. The year would begin with the beginning of spring, when everything starts to grow again, and the year would end with winter, with everything dead and withered. Instead we start the year in the midst of the dead season. Why is that? Other calendar systems start the year with spring. Why don’t we?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-year-begin-in-january/49182/2 "2001-01-09T17:49:48Z")

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Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about [the calendar](http://www.tondering.dk/claus/calendar.html).