Why the Year Really Begins in March; A Reminder From Nature (and Yoga)

We celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1st, but have you ever wondered why? It turns out this date is far more cultural convention than natural rhythm. For thousands of years, the turning of the year was tied to the rhythms of the Earth, not pen on a planner. And if we take a moment to remember that, we might find a gentler, more grounded way to begin again each year.

The Year That Began With Spring

In the earliest Roman calendar; one of the major ancestors of the calendar we use today; the year didn’t begin in January at all. It began in March, with the month of Martius, named for Mars, the god of war and movement, marking the return of activity after winter’s dormancy. March was the beginning of planting, of campaigning, of life in motion, a real start to the year in seasonal terms.

This old calendar actually consisted of ten named months, running from March to December. The names of the months themselves still carry that history:

• September comes from septem- the seventh month

• October means eight

• November nine

• December ten

All reminders of a time when March was month one.

Winter was not always a structured part of that calendar; it was a season of rest and silence, a time outside of numbers and schedules, a time when the Earth itself was in retreat.

So Why January 1? A Shift in Power and Practicality

The move to January 1st as the new year was a political and administrative shift more than an ecological one.

January was named for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, endings, transitions, and doorways, the two-faced deity who looks both backward and forward. When the Roman civil year became tied to the election of officials in January, it gradually became the official start of the year, first by the Roman Republic, then formally in 46 BCE under Julius Caesar’s Julian calendar reform.

Later, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, the version most of the world follows now; which re-established January 1 as New Year’s Day across Catholic countries, and it eventually spread worldwide.

But here’s the key: This shift was human-made. It’s not tethered to any celestial or seasonal event like an equinox or a solstice, it’s tied to civil administration, politics, and tradition.

The Natural Calendar vs. The Georgian Calendar

Nature doesn’t recognise January 1.

In ecological terms, the cycle of seasons — seeds sprouting, life flourishing, leaves falling, rest returning; is what guides the year’s natural progression. Ancient cultures across the world recognised this: from spring new years to autumn harvest celebrations and midwinter festivals marking the turning of the light.

Modern science now tells us what our ancestors knew intuitively; that our bodies, minds, and nervous systems are deeply responsive to seasonal cues: light exposure, temperature shifts, growth cycles, and periods of rest. These rhythms are reflected in changes to our hormones, immune function, mood, and metabolism throughout the year.

So when we enforce a cultural milestone like “January 1st- Change Everything!”, we’re often trying to leap ahead of what our bodies want to do.

Why January Is Not the Time for Massive Change, But Maybe for Intention

January sits deep in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest nights, the coldest days, the time when nature itself seems to slow.

In seasonal wisdom (and modern chronobiology), winter is a time for rest, restoration, and consolidation; not for dramatic leaps forward. Yoga philosophy echoes this: *practice is not just about doing more, but about listening to the rhythms of the body and breath; it’s about being as well as becoming.

In winter:

• Cortisol cycles shift with longer nights

• The body naturally craves rest and recovery

• The nervous system benefits from slower, gentler pacing

So rather than resolving, pressing, and demanding, we might simply set intentions rooted in acceptance and awareness, like:

“I intend to ground myself this year.”

“I intend to move with the seasons, not against them.”

“I intend to honour rest as part of my practice.”

This is not weakness; it is alignment; alignment with the rhythms that have governed life on Earth long before the Georgian calendars we’ve inherited.

Yoga, Nature’s Seasons, and the Calendar of the Self

Yoga invites us to honour:

• the breath

• the body

• the rhythms of life

• the seasons of being

Ancient yogic texts and modern physiology both remind us that our internal states are deeply connected to the world outside us. The post-winter stillness of January can be a powerful time for reflection, internal awareness, and gentle cultivation of intention before the outward movement of spring.

Just as the old year began with Mars’ awakening of nature in March, so too might our personal year begin not in the push of January’s New Year zeal; but in the quiet, receptive space of winter, making space for what is ready to grow when spring comes.

In Closing, A Natural New Year

Perhaps a more grounded way to “begin again” is to trust this:

🌿 January invites reflection

🌱 March invites emergence

Here at Wildwood Movement, we honour both — the wisdom of nature and the inner compass of your own timing.

Winter is not a barrier to change — it’s the soil in which deep, meaningful intentions take root.

Lindsey Wood