| Holiday name | Holiday location | Holiday type |
|---|---|---|
| January 2 Bank Holiday | Japan | Bank Holiday |
| New Year Day | Cuba | National Holiday |
| New Year's Day (Day 2) | Multiple [Show] | National Holiday |
| Heroes’ Day/Ancestors’ Day | Haiti | National/legal Holiday |
| New Year's (Day 2) | Multiple [Show] | Public Holiday |
| Day After New Year’s Day | Canada (Quebec) | Local Holiday |
| Special non-working day after New Year | Philippines | Special Non-working Holiday |
| Second Day of New Year's Day | Serbia | National Holiday |
| Second Day of New Year | Kosovo | Official Holiday |
| New Year's Day (day 2) | Multiple [Show] | National Holiday |
| 2nd January | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Local Holiday |
| Run It up the Flagpole and See If Anyone Salutes It Day | - | Unofficial (Work & Occupation) |
| Day after New Year's Day | Multiple [Show] | National Holiday |
| Berchtold Day | Switzerland (14 Cantons) | Common Local Holidays |
| Carnival Day | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Public Holiday |
| National Science Fiction Day | - | Unofficial (Art & Entertainment) |
| National Personal Trainer Awareness Day | - | Unofficial (Health & Body, Sports) |
| National Buffet Day | - | Unofficial (Food & Drinks) |
| National Cream Puff Day | - | Unofficial (Food & Drinks) |
| Day After New Year's Day | Multiple [Show] | Public Holiday |
| New Year's weekend | China | Common Local Holiday |
| New Year holiday | Slovenia | National Holiday |
| Reconquest Day | Spain (Granada) | Local Holiday |
| Public Holiday (January) | Botswana | Public Holiday |
| New Year (Day 2) | Mauritius | Public Holiday |
| Swiss Cheese Day | - | Unofficial (Food & Drinks) |
| National Pet Travel Safety Day | - | Unofficial (Animals) |
| 55 Mph Speed Limit Day | - | Unofficial (Awareness & Cause) |
| Happy Mew Year For Cats Day | - | Unofficial (Animals) |
| Motivation And Inspiration Day | - | Unofficial (Activity & Action) |
| World Introvert Day | - | Unofficial (Lifestyle) |
Historical Events on January 2
- 1777: General George Washington and American forces drive back a British attack at the Battle of Assunpink Creek during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1788: The state of Georgia becomes the 4th state to ratify the Constitution of the U.S.
- 1791: The Big Bottom Massacre begins in the Ohio Country. This would become known as the start of the Northwest Indian War.
- 1863: After stopping for just one day, the Battle of Stones River starts up again during the American Civil War.
- 1941: Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales is extremely damaged by Nazi bombing during WWII.
- 1942: The FBI convicts over thirty members of a German spy ring. This spy ring was headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne and is known as one of the biggest cases of espionage in modern U.S history.
- 1942: Japanese forces capture the city of Manila in the Philippines during WWII.
- 1945: Allied forces drop an enormous amount of bombs on the city of Nuremberg in Germany during World War II.
- 1959: The Soviet Union launches Luna 1.
- 2004: The Stardust Spacecraft successfully completes its mission by flying past the Comet Wild 2. As it does so, it collects samples that are returned to NASA.
- 2006: Twelve miners are trapped and killed in a Sago, West Virginia mine. 1 miner managers to survive.
Famous Birthdays on January 2
- Russian-American author and chemist, Isaac Asimov is born in 1920.
- American journalist and author Rober Goralski is born in 1928.
- English author, poet and playwright, Peter Redgrove is born in 1932.
- American singer-songwriter Roger Miller is born in 1936.
- American computer scientists Dana Ulery is born in 1938.
- American zoologist Jack Hanna is born in 1947.
- American poet and historian, David Shapiro is born in 1947.
- American journalist and author Judith Miller is born in 1948.
- American actress Gabrielle Carteris is born in 1961.
- American model Christy Turlington is born in 1969.
- American actor Taye Diggs is born in 1971.
- American actress Renee Elise Goldsberry is born in 1971.
