Ianuarius "Ianuarius" and "Februarius" were supposed to have been added by Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, originally at the end of the year. It is unclear when the Romans reset the course of the year so that January and February came first. "Ianuarius" is conventionally thought to have taken its name from Janus, the dual-faced god of beginnings, openings, passages, gates and doorways, but according to ancient Roman farmers' almanacs Juno was the tutelary deity of the month. Many Roman festivals and religious observances reflect the Romans' agrarian way of life in their early history. Agricultural calendars "(menologia rustica)"
The Gates Ajar The Gates Ajar The Gates Ajar is an 1868 religious novel by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps (later Elizabeth Phelps Ward) that was immensely popular following its publication. It was the second best-selling religious novel of the 19th century. 80,000 copies were sold in America by 1900; 100,000 were sold in England during the same time period. Sequels "Beyond the Gates" (1883) and "The Gates Between" (1887) were also bestsellers, and the three together are referred to as the author's "Spiritualist novels." The novel is presented like a diary by its main protagonist, Mary Cabot, who mourns the death of her brother