[Sca-cooks] Holiday Exchange

[kingstaste at mindspring.com]

Well, I'm not much into cookies these days, so I thought I'd post a few
holiday reminders as we get on toward the end of the year.
Here are a few, starting with yesterday, December 15th.
Christianna

DEC 15
Halcyon Days - Ancient Greece - Alcyone was the wife of Ceyx, who was killed
at sea.  So great was her grief that she went to throw herself into the sea,
but the Gods took pity on her and turned both her and her husband into
birds, who could always be seen flying over or riding on the waves.  Every
year there are seven days when the sea is calm and no wind stirs the waters.
These are the days when Alcyone is watching her nest on the waters.  Once
the young birds are hatched, the spell is broken, and the Halcyon days are
over.  Celebrated in Rome as the seven days surrounding the Winter Solstice.

Consualia - Ancient Rome - Festival of Consus, the deity of Time, who is now
known as ‘Father Time’.   Horse and mule races were held on this day.

DEC 16
Catherine of Aragon (b. 1485) Daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
of Spain, Henry VIII's 1st wife. (Alternate date - Jan. 15th?)

Posadas - Mexico - For each of the 8 nights before Christmas, Mexicans
reenact Joseph and Mary's search for shelter (posadas) on the night of
Jesus' birth. Friends go to one another's homes, and sing traditional songs
begging to be let in. At first refusing, the master of the house relents,
and receives his guests with cheer, and with pinatas for the children.