Welcome
Welcome to the January 2009 Birth Club website for Pregnancy Weekly members! We hope that you enjoy getting to know our moms and their families, as well as watching all of our beautiful babies grow.
January Facts
Birthstone: Garnet (Loyalty, Constancy)
Alternatives: Rose Quartz & Emerald
Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January and the traditional anniversary gemstone for the second year of marriage. Archaeologists have found primitive garnet jewelry among the graves of lake dwellers which dates the use of this popular gemstone to the Bronze age. Today they are mined in Brazil, India, Madagascar, India, Siberia, Africa, Sri Lanka, and the United States.Not all garnets are of gem quality. "Raw" garnets make a very effective abrasive and used commercially for grinding and polishing. Believe it or not, garnet-coated sandpaper is popular for industrial use.
Color Me Beautiful
Garnets are extremely diverse and offer enough variety in appearance (and color) to suit every taste. Although you may think of garnet as a red gem, the truth is that the garnet family of gemstones comes in a broad spectrum of colors, except blue.Garnets of muted yellows, vibrant oranges, rosy pinks, lime greens, and violets are all part this gemstone's rainbow of hues. The diversity is due to unique combinations of elements within each particular gem, such as iron, calcium, and manganese.
What's In A Name?
Look at the seeds of a pomegranate and you'll immediately understand how the word "garnet" was derived from the Latin word "granatus," meaning "grain" or "seed." Garnet earned its name because of its close resemblance to the succulent red pomegranate seed. But don't bite into a garnet! Like a diamond, a garnet is strong. It has a Moh's scale hardness 6.5 to 7.5…definitely not tooth-friendly.A Greek myth tells the story of Peresphone, the young goddess of sunshine, who was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld. The devil eventually released her, but not before he offered her some pomegranate seeds, which guaranteed her return to him. Thus garnets have come to represent fidelity and commitment.
Rich Traditions
Legends, myths, and traditions abound when it comes to garnets. It is believed to be one of the 12 gemstones in Aaron's breastplate in the Hebrew tradition while Christians consider it is symbolic of Christ's sacrifice and the blood of their savior. Many faiths claim that Noah hung a large red garnet in the ark for illumination. In the Koran, garnets are believed to illuminate the Fourth Heaven of the Moslems. On a more earthly plane, Egyptians believed that garnets protected them from snakebite and was an antidote to food poisoning.A gift of garnet is thought to be symbolic of love and the desire for a loved one's safe travel and speedy homecoming. It is January's birthstone, but far from being only a winter gem, the garnet, with its brilliance and multitude of colors, is truly one for any season.
Flower: The Snowdrop
Alternative: Carnation
Not nearly as known or often as heard of as the Carnation, the Snowdrop is also a flower that symbolizes being born in the month of January. The Snowdrop, also known as Galanthus nivalis can grow to be 15cm tall and traditionally first flowers in either January or February in the north. The Snowdrop is a white flower with three small petals in the middle surrounded by three larger petals on the outside. It is similar but should not be confused with the Snowflake, which also has six petals but is much larger and all the petals are the same size. There are two other types of Snowdrops, the Crimean snowdrop also known as Galanthus plicatus, which stands 30cm tall flowering in January and March, and the Giant snowdrop or Galanthus elwesii, which is 23cm tall, flowers in January and February that normally has green blotches on the inner petals. Fun and interesting fact: In 1983 it was suggested that the magical herb "moly" from Homer's Odyssey is really a Snowdrop. One of the active substances in a Snowdop is galantamine which could have acted as an antidote to poison. Today galantamine can be used to help treat patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Zodiac Signs:
Dec.23-Jan.20
Jan.21-Feb.19
Interesting Facts:
January Holidays: click here
Famous January B-days: click here
Other Fun Facts:
January in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to July in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
Your baby will be born in the Chinese Year of The Ox
Your baby will start kindergarten in 2014, be old enough to drive a car in 2025, finish high school in 2027, and will graduate from college with the class of 2031, give or take a year.