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Twelfth Night and Nollaig na mBan
Traditionally, the Christmas season lasted from Christmas Day on the 25th to January 5, and there was a celebration and a holiday for each one. These were typically in honor of a specific saint. In medieval Europe, the Christmas holidays were: Day 1 (25th December): Christmas Day, which celebrated the birth of Jesus Day 2 (26th December): St Stephen’s Day. Day 3 (27th December): St John the Apostle. Day 4 (28th December): The Feast of the Holy Innocents. This celebrated the babies killed by Herod in his search for Jesus Day 5 (29th December): St Thomas Becket. Day 6 (30th December): St Egwin of Worcester. Day 7 (31st December): New…
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The Date of Christmas
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Luke 2:8. This is a part of the infancy gospels that are very familiar to us. The shepherds out in the fields with their flocks and being visited by the Heavenly Host and told to go find the Christ child. If this is indeed true, then this throws the date of December 25 as the date of Christ’s birth into shadow. The flocks were kept in corrals unwatched at night every season but lambing time, which took place in the spring. Only during lambing times were shepherds in the fields with…
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Zwarte Piet- Tradition or Racism?
In many countries around the world, Santa Claus has helpers. We have discussed Krampus (http://www.historynaked.com/krampus/) in a previous post. However, in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Aruba and Curaçao, SinterKlaas or St. Nicholas has a different helper- Zwarte Piet or Black Pete. Zwarte Piet is depicted as a “blackamoor” from Spain dressed in a colorful Renaissance costume of pantaloons, feathered cap and ruffled shirt, curly hair, bright red lipstick and gold earrings. He travels with SinterKlaas when he arrives by boat from Spain in November and is welcomed with a parade. SinterKlaas rides through town on a white horse while Zwarte Piet distributes treats of pepernoten, kruidnoten, and strooigoed to…
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White Christmas
My favorite holiday movie is now and has always been (after “Die Hard”) “White Christmas”. And as this is the case and it is 62 years old this Christmas season, I’m going to write about it. “White Christmas” came out in 1954 and quickly became the highest grossing box office hit of the year, earning what today would be $102.7 million. The film was also the first movie filed in VistaVision which allowed for a widescreen effect. It was supposed to be the third of a trio of movies starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as a musical showcase for Irving Berlin. However, Mr. Astaire declined the role and asked…
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Krampus
“You better watch out, You better not cry, You better not pout, I’m telling you why: He’s making a list, And checking it twice, Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. He sees you when you’re sleeping, He knows when you’re awake. He knows when you’ve been bad or good, So be good for goodness sake!” Krampus does not come to reward, but to punish. The word “Krampus” is derived from the Old High German word krampen, meaning “claw.” According to Norse mythology, Krampus is the son of Hel, the goddess ruler of the underworld. There are also a few physical similarities between Krampus and Greek mythical creatures like the…
