NOM

Happy Winter Solstice to all the NOM-Type folks (In the Northern Hemisphere - Happy Summer to you Southerners.)

May you have an enjoyable day, whether you're celebrating Yuletide, Saturnalia, Brumalia, Sanghamitta Day, or if you're just celebrating that our tiny rotating 'blue' sphere is tilted at 23.5°.

The pagan part of my heart thanks you!

River

wtfluff wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 12:30 pm Happy Winter Solstice to all the NOM-Type folks (In the Northern Hemisphere - Happy Summer to you Southerners.)

May you have an enjoyable day, whether you're celebrating Yuletide, Saturnalia, Brumalia, Sanghamitta Day, or if you're just celebrating that our tiny rotating 'blue' sphere is tilted at 23.5°.

Happy Solstice! I'm always so glad the sun comes back.

There's also this:


https://www.sciencealert.com/early-huma ... ng-winters

Saturnalia was traditionally held between December 17-23. We now regard December 23rd as Smithmas.

moksha wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:38 pm Saturnalia was traditionally held between December 17-23. We now regard December 23rd as Smithmas.

Well played!

Hey, if you buy an advent calendar the day after Christmas, it will count down to Inauguration Day. More important than Christmas in my book. And you should be able to buy them on sale.

If any of you happen to watch a TV program on PBS called Lucy Worsley's Twelve Days of Tudor Christmas, it will fill you in on how our present Christmas developed. It would be fun to attend one of those gala parties over 500 years ago and bring a large bag of mixed chocolates - you would be the king/queen of the party. I would probably allow myself a flagon of mead.

https://www.pbs.org/video/lucy-worsleys ... as-fir5kn/

I used to decorate a Solstice tree instead of a Christmas tree, and we did a solstice ceremony that involved precursor origins of modern Christmas traditions. Great fun. Gotta put the soul cakes on the hearth to appease the ancient spirits that will be coming down the chimney, you know.

Hagoth wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:53 am I used to decorate a Solstice tree instead of a Christmas tree, and we did a solstice ceremony that involved precursor origins of modern Christmas traditions. Great fun. Gotta put the soul cakes on the hearth to appease the ancient spirits that will be coming down the chimney, you know.

Sounds so fun! Have you ever celebrated any other days in the wheel of the year?

I have read extensively and even planned a couple of celebrations but they both just fell through the cracks.

River

River Morgan2 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:08 am Sounds so fun! Have you ever celebrated any other days in the wheel of the year?

Not really, although equinox is my favorite word.

I have a friend whose family celebrates Catherine of Aragon beheading day in February because they think we need a holiday at that time of year but they don't like Valentine's Day.

Hagoth wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:07 pm

River Morgan2 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:08 am Sounds so fun! Have you ever celebrated any other days in the wheel of the year?

Not really, although equinox is my favorite word.

I have a friend whose family celebrates Catherine of Aragon beheading day in February because they think we need a holiday at that time of year but they don't like Valentine's Day.

Just a small correction. It wasn’t Catherine of Aragon who was beheaded, but Henry’s second wife, Anne Bolin. Catherine died in exile, just before Anne’s still born son was born. King Henry caused the revolution and became Protestant and declared himself head of the Church of England in order to annul his marriage to Catherine, but he didn’t have her executed. I am not sure if Anne’s beheading was in February

Hagoth wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:07 pm

River Morgan2 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:08 am Sounds so fun! Have you ever celebrated any other days in the wheel of the year?

Not really, although equinox is my favorite word.

I have a friend whose family celebrates Catherine of Aragon beheading day in February because they think we need a holiday at that time of year but they don't like Valentine's Day.

They should look at Imbolc then. Some people call it Candlemas. It's an old Celtic holiday celebrated on February 2, halfway between the winter and spring equinoxes. It's to celebrate life returning to the Earth from the long winter. And is the origin of our Groundhog Day!

River

alas wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:58 pm Just a small correction. It wasn’t Catherine of Aragon who was beheaded, but Henry’s second wife, Anne Bolin. Catherine died in exile, just before Anne’s still born son was born. King Henry caused the revolution and became Protestant and declared himself head of the Church of England in order to annul his marriage to Catherine, but he didn’t have her executed. I am not sure if Anne’s beheading was in February

You're right! Looks like Bolin was beheaded in May. I've been fake newsed!

River Morgan2 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 5:07 pm They should look at Imbolc then. Some people call it Candlemas. It's an old Celtic holiday celebrated on February 2, halfway between the winter and spring equinoxes. It's to celebrate life returning to the Earth from the long winter. And is the origin of our Groundhog Day!

River

I confuse it with that day when Jesus comes out of the tomb and sees his shadow.

After both Christmas and the season of Epiphany, the end of the Christmas celebrations come on February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas, with Candlemas.

Imbolc has been widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.

The Trump forces from outer darkness have suggested a "re-doesies" on the election after Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow. Ironically, Punxsutawney Phil has maintained a non-political stance for years.

Hagoth wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:55 pm

alas wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:58 pm Just a small correction. It wasn’t Catherine of Aragon who was beheaded, but Henry’s second wife, Anne Bolin. Catherine died in exile, just before Anne’s still born son was born. King Henry caused the revolution and became Protestant and declared himself head of the Church of England in order to annul his marriage to Catherine, but he didn’t have her executed. I am not sure if Anne’s beheading was in February

You're right! Looks like Bolin was beheaded in May. I've been fake newsed!

You should get your education from Netflix. (actually, The Tudors was a really good series with both fact, embellished fact-so not really fact, and fiction). I was always pretty weak in history, so had to investigate truth from fiction. I do recommend the series to anyone who hasn't seen it.


Happy after Solstice!! I was disappointed in the cloud cover, but at least daylight will be getting longer.

Jethro Tull has an awesome Solstice carol:
https://youtu.be/1ShwcA8KkkM