Wheel of the Year the last month of the old year and the first month of the new year and is followed by eleven days of extended celebration. In Roman traditions additional festivities take place during the six days leading up to Midwinter. As the first cross-quarter day following Midwinter this day falls on the first of February and traditionally marks the first stirrings of spring. It aligns with the contemporary observance of Groundhog Day. It is time for purification and spring cleaning in anticipation of the year's new life. In Rome, it was historically a shepherd's holiday, while the Celts associated it with
Iunius (month) Iunius (month) On the ancient Roman calendar, mensis Iunius or Iunius, also Junius (June), was the fourth month, following "Maius" (May). In the oldest calendar attributed by the Romans to Romulus, "Iunius" was the fourth month in a ten-month year that began with March "(Martius," "Mars' month"). The month following June was thus called "Quinctilis" or "Quintilis", the "fifth" month. "Iunius" had 29 days until a day was added during the Julian reform of the calendar in the mid-40s BC. The month that followed "Iunius" was renamed "Iulius" (July) in honour of Julius Caesar. In his poem on the Roman