In the days of the Roman Republic, the first month of the year was January, named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, war and peace, gates, doorways, transitions, birth, and trade. He was depicted with two faces, one looking to the future, and the other simultaneously to the past.
What does this have to do with the turning of the year? Romans named the first month of the year in honor of this god, because of the beginnings, transitions, endings, et cetera, which occurred in this month. And this seems a good enough place to start this month and this year.
Year two thousand fourteen of the Common Era (so used by those who eschew AD (“Anno Domini”, or “In the Year of Our Lord”) and BC (“Before Christ”) dating) has been, in its first twenty-three days, an interesting year… the consciousness of the Vatican has been moving into the twentieth century from its previous stronghold in the fourteenth; in the estimation of many whose opinions I respect, the Republican Party in the United States continues to shoot itself in the foot – repeatedly; observations of the Canadian Parliament, posted by more people whose opinions I respect, don’t seem to be faring much better; it seems to me that all those in power have cried “Havoc!” and let slip the squirrels of war. [Squirrels are rats with better P.R. people.]
In my estimation, no one is likely to escape this year unscathed and unscarred… least of all we, the people.
Is this a good thing? Is this a bad thing? Is this a thing at all?
My best answer is this:
I got nothing.
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It Mostly Doesn't Suck... 
I otten think that one month is as good as any other to look forward and backward. I often do so in April and in June for reasons having to do with my mother.
I would agree that one month is as good as any other; the general sense is, because of the “celebratory” nature of that time of year (getting ridiculously drunk and doing ineffably stupid things) that this is a more universally accepted time.