In Roman mythology, the two-faced Janus was the god of doorways and gates. Those ancients envisioned one face guarding the home from outside evils while the other kept watch over the family and servants inside. Janus was also the deity of beginnings and endings, looking simultaneously into the future and backward into the past.
Although the Roman calendar began with March, it’s fitting that our new year kicks off in a month named for this god of transitions. Come Jan. 1, 2024, many of us will resolve to make changes in our lives, such as losing weight, saving money, or exercising more.
