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Today is New Year's Eve, the seventh day of the twelve days of Christmas.
Today is celebrated the Feast of St. Sylvester. Surprisingly little is known about this Saint. What is known is that he was the son of a Roman soldier and that he became Pope at a critical period in history. In the 150 years preceeding Sylvester's Papacy, Christians had been brutally persecuted by Rome's Emporers from Nero to Diocletian. Indeed, the Diocletianic Persecution, from 303 A.D. to 311 A.D., was Rome's largest, and bloodiest official persecution of Christianity. But then Constantine became the Emporer of Rome in 306 A.D. Constantine publicly converted to Christianity in 312 A.D. and ended the Christian persecutions by the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. The next year, Sylvester was elected Pope. For the next 21 years, he oversaw the Papacy while Constantine, who would outlive St. Sylvester by two years, spread Christianity throughout the Roman world.
It was during Sylvester's pontificate were built many of the great Churches, including the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, St. Peter's Basilica, and several cemeterial churches over the graves of martyrs. Saint Sylvester did not himself attend the First Council of Nicaea in 325, but he was represented by two legates and he approved the council's decision.
One of the traditions associated with St. Sylvester, at least in Germany, is St. Sylvester's punch:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
750 ml bottle of dry white wine
750 ml bottle of dry red wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup dark Jamaican rum
Preparation:
1.Bring water and sugar to a boil in a large pot, while stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.
2.Add the wines and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the rum and lemon juice.
3.Ladle the punch into cups and serve warm.
AND TO ALL, A HAPPY NEW YEAR
The 12 Days Of Christmas
The first eight days of Christmastide are known as the Octave
The 1st Day - Celebrating The Birth Of Christ
The 2nd Day - Feast of St. Stephen, The First Martyr of the Church
The 3rd Day - Feast of St. John the Evangelist & The Blessing Of The Wine
The 4th Day - Feast of the Holy Innocents
The 5th Day - Feast of St. Thomas a' Becket
The 6th Day - Feast of the Holy Family*
The 7th Day - Feast of St. Sylvester
The 8th Day – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Feast of the Circumsision - no longer celebrated) (& The Feast Of Fools - no longer celebrated)
The 9th Day – Feast of the Holy Name (1st Sunday of the New Year, unless that day falls on the 1st, 6th or 7th of January, in which case it falls on the 2nd of January)
10th Day of Christmas - Open
11th Day of Christmas – Open
12th Night
Epiphany
13 January – Baptism of Jesus
14 January - Feast Of The Asses - no longer celebrated
Friday, December 31, 2010
On The Seventh Day Of Christmas . . . The Feast Of St. Sylvester
Thursday, December 30, 2010
On The Sixth Day Of Christmas . . . The Feast Of The Holy Family*
Today is the sixth day of the twelve days of Christmas . . .
My research into what was celebrated on this day in Medieval times, from whence the custom of a 12 day celebration of Christmas originates, has come up short. In the modern era, the Feast of the Holy Family was placed on general calendar of the Roman Rite on October 26, 1921. It is, by custom, celebrated on this day in those years when Christmas falls on a Sunday. Otherwise, the Feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on the first Sunday after Christmas.
The purpose of this celebration is to use the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus as the model for all Christian families.
Prayer To The Holy Family:
Domine Iesu Christe, qui Mariae et Ioseph subditus, domesticam vitam ineffabilibus virtutibus consecrasti: fac nos, utriusque auxilio, Familiae sanctae tuae exemplis instrui et consortium consequi sempiternum: Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Who, being made subject to Mary and Joseph, didst consecrate domestic life by Thine ineffable virtues; grant that we, with the assistance of both, may be taught by the example of Thy Holy Family and may attain to its everlasting fellowship. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen.
Should it be that the Feast of the Holy Family is not celebrated this day, I would honor St. Ecgwine of Worcester whose feast falls on this day. Ecgwine, the 7th century son of a Mercian King, founded the Benedictine monastery of Evesham, England; the site was chosen because of an apparition of the Virgin Mary to a local herdsman. It became one of the great Benedictine houses of the Middle Ages. In his honor, it seems only fitting that one toast repeatedly with the libation produced by his order, Benedictine liquor. Do note that every bottle of Bénédictine has the initials D.O.M. on the label - it actually stands for "Deo Optimo Maximo"; "For our best, greatest God".
The 12 Days Of Christmas
The first eight days of Christmastide are known as the Octave
The 1st Day - Celebrating The Birth Of Christ
The 2nd Day - Feast of St. Stephen, The First Martyr of the Church
The 3rd Day - Feast of St. John the Evangelist & The Blessing Of The Wine
The 4th Day - Feast of the Holy Innocents
The 5th Day - Feast of St. Thomas a' Becket
The 6th Day - Feast of the Holy Family*
The 7th Day - Feast of St. SylvesterThe 8th Day – Feast of the Circumsision (& The Feast Of Fools - no longer celebrated)
The 9th Day – Feast of the Holy Name (1st Sunday of the New Year, unless that day falls on the 1st, 6th or 7th of January, in which case it falls on the 2nd of January)
10th Day of Christmas - Open
11th Day of Christmas – Open
12th Night
Epiphany
13 January – Baptism of Jesus
14 January - Feast Of The Ass - no longer celebrated
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday Links
From the Blogprof: Illinois is refusing to issue state tax refunds. They aren't even bothering to issue IOU's. Sounds like a 1983 action in the making to me.
At Maggie's Farm, a cost benefit number crunch convinces the author to stay in Texas and out of NYC.
If this isn't a Tea Party issue, it ought to be - from Tom Blumer: GAO is unable to complete an accounting of our government's finances for the 14th year running.
From Thomas Sowell: "There are ways the government can juggle money around to make everything look OK, but it is only a matter of time before that money runs out and the ultimate reality hits, that there is no free lunch." Amen.
JammieWearingFool "loves a good Democrat food fight over racial politics."
Hey - it turns out Gitmo never was a recruiting tool for jihadis. If that surprises you, then it is certain that you haven't made the slightest effort to educate yourself on jihadism since 9-11.
Gay Patriot takes note that it is de rigueur for the politically correct gay activist to use obscenities to slur conservatives. And in getting their message out, they are supported by a media that enjoys their little jokes.
With a hat-tip to Instapundit, here is something I didn't know. During the Falklands War, PM Margaret Thatcher was ready to nuke Agrentina. The Argentinians were armed with state of the art weaponry sold to them by France. Thatcher told French PM Mitterand that she would employ nukes against Argentina unless Mitterand gave her the codes to make the French missiles blind:
Mitterrand - who once described Mrs Thatcher as "the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe" - went on: "One cannot win against the insular syndrome of an unbridled Englishwoman. Provoke a nuclear war for a few islands inhabited by three sheep as hairy as they are freezing! But it's a good job I gave way. Otherwise, I assure you, the Lady's metallic finger would have hit the button."
And from Sister Toldjah, modern-day feminism in a nutshell:
On The Fifth Day Of Christmas . . . The Feast Of St. Thomas a Becket
Today is the fifth day of the twelve days of Christmas.
The Feast of St. Thomas a Becket is celebrated this day. One of the overarching issues of the Medieval world was where the authority of the Papacy ended and the authority of kings began. It was an issue that would consume St. Thomas.
Thomas a Becket was born into 12th century England. As Chancellor to King Henry II, he came to be a close confidant of the King. He even accompanied the King to war, reportedly acquitting himself well in battle. But then, in 1161, when Henry appointed Becket to be the Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket became a defender of Papal authority. At particular issue was the Papacy's claim of right to try felonious monks and other lawless clergy in Church courts. Henry wanted to end this custom and subject criminal clergy to Royal courts. Becket was intransigent, even going so far as to excommunicate other English bishops who supported Henry on the issue. Henry, in a rage, famously asked “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?”
Four of Henry's knights took it upon themselves to do just that. Travelling to Canterbury on this date in 1170, with their weapons in hand, they confronted Becket and demanded he lift the excommunications. When Becket refused, it was soon clear beyond doubt that he would be killed. Moments after Becket “commended himself and the cause of the Church to God, St. Mary, and the blessed martyr St. Denis,” his assassins put him to the sword, spilling his brains on the Cathedral floor.
Much of the medieval world erupted in horror at Becket's murder. Pilgrimages to the site followed soon thereafter with numerous miracles occurring that were attributed to Becket. The Church canonized Becket in 1173. King Henry presented himself at the tomb of Becket to make public penance, allowing himself to be scourged by the local clerics.
Canterbury became the third greatest site of pilgrimage in all of Europe.
The first great work of literature composed in English, Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," is set against the backdrop of travelers on a pilgrimage to Becket's shrine.
St. Thomas is, today, the patron saint of priests.
The 12 Days Of Christmas
The first eight days of Christmastide are known as the Octave
The 1st Day - Celebrating The Birth Of Christ
The 2nd Day - Feast of St. Stephen, The First Martyr of the Church
The 3rd Day - Feast of St. John the Evangelist & The Blessing Of The Wine
The 4th Day - Feast of the Holy Innocents
The 5th Day - Feast of St. Thomas a' Becket
The 6th Day - Feast of the Holy Family
The 7th Day - Feast of St. Sylvester
The 8th Day – Feast of the Circumsision (& The Feast Of Fools - no longer celebrated)
The 9th Day – Feast of the Holy Name (1st Sunday of the New Year, unless that day falls on the 1st, 6th or 7th of January, in which case it falls on the 2nd of January)
10th Day of Christmas - Open
11th Day of Christmas – Open
12th Night
Epiphany
13 January – Baptism of Jesus
14 January - Feast Of The Ass - no longer celebrated
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Solar Magnetism vs. Carbon Dioxode
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It would seem that the difference between the two views of weather forcing - solar magnetism vs. carbon dioxide - is that the former allows one to accurately forecast weather into the future, while the latter only allows one to claim that they knew what the weather would be after the fact - and, of course, that it was caused by plant food.
Tuesday Links
We now resemble the socialist bureaucracy of the EU, with major policy decisions being made by unelected bureaucrats - and indeed, policy decisions that contravene the will of our elected representatives. Apparently, the Republicans plan to fight this with the Congressional Review Act of 1996 (thanks for that one, Newt), which will allow them an opportunity to force a vote on approval of the most outrageous recent acts. I would argue, though, that democracy demands that there should be congressional review and approval of all regulations before they become binding.
Related - This from Thomas Sowell: "The Constitution of the United States begins with the words "We the people." But neither the Constitution nor "we the people" will mean anything if politicians and judges can continue to do end runs around both."
From Powerline: Like NPR, PBS is a media adjunct of the Democratic Party.
Larry Bell at Forbes ponders: "as 2010 draws to a close, do you remember hearing any good news from the mainstream media about climate? Like maybe a headline proclaiming "Record Low 2009 and 2010 Cyclonic Activity Reported: Global Warming Theorists Perplexed"? Or "NASA Studies Report Oceans Entering New Cooling Phase: Alarmists Fear Climate Science Budgets in Peril"?
The major accomplishment of the 111th Congress - increasing our national debt by nearly 60%, in excess of $5 trillion, in 4 years. That is, as Q&O points out, "more debt added than any other Congress in the history of our country and more than all of the first 100 combined."
While the EPA goes to war with Texas over its power grab to regulate plant food, and while the same EPA continues its war on our energy infrastructure, the "former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, says Americans could be paying $5 for a gallon of gasoline by 2012."
Fareed Zakaria is shilling for a VAT tax in America. Its clear that he is approaching this from a statist viewpoint, but I happen to agree that we should adopt a VAT or sales tax, with the caveat that it would replace the insane tax system we have now that punishes wealth creation and savings.
Mark Helprin on "America's Dangerous Rush to Shrink Its Military Power." This has long been a wet dream of the far left - and they are pushing it hard. If they succeed, you can rest assured that we will eventually pay the price for it in blood and gold.
From Counting Cats, looking at the left's stranglehold on education in the West and its ramifications: "Only by attacking the enemy at the source of their power (by breaking the iron grip they have over schools and universities) can the cultural and political power of the left really be broken. Unless that happens, no amount of economic or social failure will really undermine the doctrines of “leftism”. In short - civilization will fall, and a new Dark Age will start. A Dark Age on a global (not just European) scale."
It is eminently clear that Barack Hussein Obama's views of Islam have been colored by what he experienced when he was living in Indonesia. But with the influx of Islamic radicals, Indonesia as a model of religious tolerance is a thing of the past.
In NYC, the best laid plans of mice and men go awry when the Mayor seems more intent on pointing fingers then lifting one to solve the problems brought on by 4 ft of global warming.
On The Fourth Day Of Chrismas . . . The Feast Of The Holy Innocents
Today is the fourth day of the twelve days of Christmas.
On the fouth day is celebrated the Feast of the Holy Innocents. This feast honors those children slaughtered on the order of King Herod, as told in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. The Magi had passed through Jerusalem and let it be known they were going to visit the newborn King. Herod, hearing of this, called his advisors together, one of whom informed Herod of a prophecy that a child would be born in Bethlehem who would become “a ruler who is to shepherd the people of Israel.” When later the Magi later refused to tell Herod where they had found Jesus, Herod ordered the slaughter of all children under two years of age living in Bethlehem. It is estimated that, in the small town of Bethlehem, that this would have meant slaughtering about 25 children. And it is their martyrdom that the Feast of the Holy Innocents honors.
The Coventry Carol, performed below by Alison Moyet, tells the story.
This 15th century carol has an interesting back story. In Medieval Eur
ope, few people were literate and most copies of the bible where in Latin, so the local clergy used alternative methods to teach the bible. One was through the use of the “poor man's bible” - stained glass windows which contained images from biblical stories, sort of a millennium old precursor to the modern comic books. One of the most famous “poor man's bible” is the 14th century window in Canterbury Cathedral shown here on the right.
A second method of teaching the bible was through Mystery plays that told biblical stories in the vernacular and, often, included song. These plays were performed by the clergy outside of the Church until the 12th century, when the conduct of the plays were turned over to town guilds. It is from one of these plays performed in 15th century Coventry, England that the Coventry Carol comes down to us.
The traditional way to celebrate today is to turn over rule of the house to the youngest child. It is the youngest who decides the day's foods, drinks, music, entertainments, etc. Also traditional is a red desert, especially a pudding or ice cream with a red sauce, such as raspberry.
The 12 Days Of Christmas
The first eight days of Christmastide are known as the Octave
The 1st Day - Celebrating The Birth Of Christ
The 2nd Day - Feast of St. Stephen, The First Martyr of the Church
The 3rd Day - Feast of St. John the Evangelist & The Blessing Of The Wine
The 4th Day - Feast of the Holy Innocents
The 5th Day - Feast of St. Thomas a' Becket
The 6th Day - Feast of the Holy Family
The 7th Day - Feast of St. Sylvester
The 8th Day – Feast of the Circumsision (& The Feast Of Fools - no longer celebrated)
The 9th Day – Feast of the Holy Name (1st Sunday of the New Year, unless that day falls on the 1st, 6th or 7th of January, in which case it falls on the 2nd of January)
10th Day of Christmas - Open
11th Day of Christmas – Open
12th Night
Epiphany
13 January – Baptism of Jesus
14 January - Feast Of The Ass - no longer celebrated
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday Links
The NYT covers the blowout at the Deepwater Horizon. Obama's commission tasked to report on the blowout is now scheduled to issue its final report in mid-January.
Elizabeth Scalia lists the eight stories that shaped 2010.
At World Affairs, identifies a troubling, systemic and humorous lack of judgment in the Muslim World. Mossad trained rats and sharks indeed. These people are nuts.
Will Obama stand up for Iraqi Christians? I doubt it.
André Glucksmann explains our debt to the ancient Athenians in The Original Birth of Freedom
Per Sen. Coburn at No Sheeples, fiscal Armageddon cometh.
The top ten reasons businesses are fleeing California.
And on a related note, the 2010 Census shows that people are fleeing high tax / strong union states. They are settling in locales with little or no income tax and right to work laws that weaken unions.
If you have not read it already, do see Tom Blumer's great analysis of the Pelosi-Obama-Reid economy and the destruction it hath wrought. What amazes me is how these people sell themselves as protectors of the working man and minorities when the reality is that they are anything but. When will a Republican with some fire in the belly go on a crusade to point that out. Perhaps Marco Rubio might be best positioned to do that.
On The Third Day Of Christmas . . . The Feast of St. John & The Blessing Of The Wine
Today is the third day of the twelve days of Christmas.
Today is celebrated the Feast of St. John The Evangelist. And in relation thereto, today is the day to bring your bottle(s) of wine to the Church to have them blessed by a priest.
John was a fisherman before he and his brother James were called by Christ to become his apostles. John was the only apostle to stay with Jesus during the crucifixion. Afterwards, he joined with St. Peter to spread Christianity throughout Israel. John was later exiled to the island of Patmos where he received visions that he recounted in what is now the final chapter of the Bible, The Apocalypse.
John alone of the apostles did not die a martyr's death – though apparently there were several attempts made on his life. The most famous was an attempt to poison him that failed when John blessed his wine, drawing out the poison before John consumed the wine. It is in remembrance of that event that, on the Feast of St. John, people may bring wine to the Church that it be blessed and then consumed in his honor.
John 1: 1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.
Today's Feast was historically a special day of celebration for priests. Do have a happy Feast of St. John The Evangelist and may your wine be blessed.
The 12 Days Of Christmas
The first eight days of Christmastide are known as the Octave
The 1st Day - Celebrating The Birth Of Christ
The 2nd Day - Feast of St. Stephen, The First Martyr of the Church
The 3rd Day - Feast of St. John the Evangelist & The Blessing Of The Wine
The 4th Day - Feast of the Holy Innocents
The 5th Day - Feast of St. Thomas a' Becket
The 6th Day - Feast of the Holy Family
The 7th Day - Feast of St. Sylvester
The 8th Day – Feast of the Circumsision (& The Feast Of Fools - no longer celebrated)
The 9th Day – Feast of the Holy Name (1st Sunday of the New Year, unless that day falls on the 1st, 6th or 7th of January, in which case it falls on the 2nd of January)
10th Day of Christmas - Open
11th Day of Christmas – Open
12th Night
Epiphany
13 January – Baptism of Jesus
14 January - Feast Of The Ass - no longer celebrated
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Interesting Links
While solar energy in the developed world is still not cost effective, solar energy is making a real difference in areas of the world far from a power grid.
The war on plant food continues apace as global warming facists seek to continue their scam. Record snow and cold are blanketing the world, sea ice is growing in Antarctica (home to over 90% of the world's sea ice), and all the computer models used by the UN IPCC to forecast massive global warming were proven worthless when they failed to forecast the cooling that took place over the past decade. Yet Jim Hansen at NASA is trying to tell us that the past decade really has been the hottest on record, and that 2010 really has been the hottest year on record. How he gets there is by playing fast and loose with the "raw data," the math and the "smoothing." Who are you going to believe, Jim Hansen or your lying frozen thermometer.
And after years of assuring us that, with global warming, winters would become ever more mild, the greenies have had a sudden epiphany. Judah Cohen tells us today that global warming causes global cooling. Fancy that. To quote from Dr. Richard North: "In the end, there are going to be two groups of people in this world: the greenies and the people who shoot greenies. It's kill or be killed, and the greenies will be the death of us all if this madness continues." Where did I put the keys to my gun rack . . . ?
States and localities that have suffered from decades of Democratic misrule will soon have to pay the piper for their Faustian bargains with public sector unions. As George Will points out, that payment should not come from the rest of America.
Via Larwyn's Linx, our nation suffers from historical illiteracy. A nation that does know its history cannot defend it, and thus it is prey to the machinations of those who want to radically change it.
Britain's Muslim problem is apparently getting worse. Leaked cables reveal that a third of Britain's Muslim population supports killing in the name of Allah. The British solution - now adopted by the Obama administration - of pretending that the problem is not within Islam itself is not working - and indeed, it is making matters harder for those Muslims who want to reform their religion. As the text of a symposium of M. Zhudi Jasser, Tawfiq Hamid, Robert Spencer and Timothy Furnish makes clear, the problem is daunting.
Wrapping Christmas gifts - it's an art form.
And lastly, from American Digest with some prodding from The Anchoress, there is this from Loreena McKinnett.
The lyrics are from a poem written by St. John of the Cross in the late 1500's.
A Picture Is Worth A 1,000 Blog Posts
From the Elder of Ziyon via Seraphic Secret, who comments that "we must push back against the media savvy Jew-haters with powerful graphics that tell our story in one simple glance. All too often, our side relies on lengthy, well reasoned articles that few people have the time or inclination to read or absorb." As a person very guilty of the latter (well, for all except the "well reasoned" part), there is little I can say but "Amen."
The goals of the Palestinians - and Islamists in general - seem far more in line with those who stand for authoritarianism and repression. As the poster makes clear, it is something we should well ponder as we craft Middle East policy and engage in pushing the canard of a "two state solution."
On The Second Day Of Christmas . . . . The Feast of St. Stephen
Today is the second day of the twelve days of Chrismas, that end with the celebration of the Epiphany on the 6th of January. It is also Boxing Day in the UK.
This second day of Christmas is given over to the celebration of the Feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. Stephen was one of several people appointed as Deacons of the Church by Peter and the apostles. Stephen was an effective proselytizer who drew the ire of the Sanhedrin, before whom Stephen was tried for for blasphemy against Moses and God (See Acts 6 and 7). Boldly declaring not merely his belief in Christ, but citing to a vision that he had of Christ at the right hand of God, the Sanhedrin voted, in 34 A.D., to execute him by stoning. St. Stephen's execution was itself notable in that Paul of Taursus took part in the stoning.
St. Stephen is the patron of stone masons, those with headaches, and horses. “The reason for this last is unknown, but this patronage is very ancient, and in rural cultures and olden times, horses are/were blessed, adorned, and taken out sleighing, and foods for horses were blessed to be fed to them in times of sickness.” The Feast of St. Stephen was historically offered in honor of all Deacons of the Church.
The famous Christmas carol, Good King Wenceslaus, tells how the 10th century Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia, on one cold and snowy St. Stephen's Day a millenium ago, took it upon himself to bring alms to a poor man and his family.
St. Fulgentius, Bishop of Ruspe, wrote a particularly poignant sermon in honor of the Feast of St. Stephen in about the year 500 A.D.:
Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time of our eternal King. Today we celebrate the triumphant suffering of His soldier. Yesterday our King, clothed in His robe of flesh, left His place in the Virgin's womb and graciously visited the world. Today His soldier leaves the tabernacle of his body and goes triumphantly to heaven.
Our King, despite His exalted majesty, came in humility for our sake; yet He did not come empty-handed. He gave of His bounty, yet without any loss to Himself. In a marvelous way He changed into wealth the poverty of His faithful followers while remaining in full possession of His own inexhaustible riches. And so the love that brought Christ from heaven to earth raised Stephen from earth to heaven; shown first in the King, it later shone forth in His soldier. His love of God kept him from yielding to the ferocious mob; his love for his neighbor made him pray for those who were stoning him. Love inspired him to reprove those who erred, to make them amend; love led him to pray for those who stoned him, to save them from punishment.
Love, indeed, is the source of all good things; it is an impregnable defense, and the way that leads to heaven. He who walks in love can neither go astray nor be afraid: love guides him, protects him, and brings him to his journey's end.
My brothers, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all Christians to climb to heaven. Hold fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it, and by your progress in it, make your ascent together.
May you have a happy Feast of St. Stephen.
Today is also known as Boxing Day in Britain. It originated in medieval times when the priests would empty the alms boxes in all churches on the day after Christmas and distribute the gifts to the poor of the parish. Moreover, the workers, apprentices, and servants stored their savings and donations through out the year in their own personal boxes made of earthen ware. Then, on the day after Christmas, the box was broken and the money counted,
The 12 Days Of Christmas
The first eight days of Christmastide are known as the Octave
The 1st Day - Celebrating The Birth Of Christ
The 2nd Day - Feast of St. Stephen, The First Martyr of the Church
The 3rd Day - Feast of St. John the Evangelist & The Blessing Of The Wine
The 4th Day - Feast of the Holy Innocents
The 5th Day - Feast of St. Thomas a' Becket
The 6th Day - Feast of the Holy Family
The 7th Day - Feast of St. Sylvester
The 8th Day – Feast of the Circumsision (& The Feast Of Fools - no longer celebrated)
The 9th Day – Feast of the Holy Name (1st Sunday of the New Year, unless that day falls on the 1st, 6th or 7th of January, in which case it falls on the 2nd of January)
10th Day of Christmas - Open
11th Day of Christmas – Open
12th Night
Epiphany
13 January – Baptism of Jesus
14 January - Feast Of The Ass - no longer celebrated
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