[Sca-cooks] December 25th Holiday Exchange

[kingstaste at mindspring.com]

DEC 25
Dies Natalis Solis Invictus - Ancient Rome - Day of the Birth of the
Invincible Sun. Sacred to Mithras, God of Light, and the Phrygian Sun-God,
Attis. This observance was moved here after Caesar’s reform of the calendar,
instead of the 21st- 22nd Solstice dates.

First Day of Christmas - Nativity of Jesus - Born in a stable because his
parents could not find room in the inn. The exact date of his birth has
never been established, but in the 4th century the church introduced a
celebration with services, feasts, and perhaps some simple presents. Placed
as it was near so many traditional seasonal customs, the holiday grew to
include many of them. The first recorded celebration of Christmas was in
Rome in 376.

Christmas Day - Considered New Year's Day in many areas during the Middle
Ages, the Roman tradition of New Year's presents carried well into the
Middle Ages. In the 12th cent., inspired by the scriptural account of the
wise men's gifts to the baby Jesus, the tradition of giving gifts on
Christmas began. Pilgrims from all over the world attend services at the
Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, first constructed about 325 on the site
believed to be Jesus' birthplace.  In England, a “Lord of Misrule” was
adopted  from Roman times, and he was in charge of Christmas festivities
from All Hallow’s Eve until 12th Night, arranging mummer’s plays and other
entertainments.
In France, the traditional dinner is roasted goose, because it was the loud
honking of the goose that heralded the arrival of the Magi at the manger.
Then 13 different desserts are eaten, one for each of the Apostles and
Jesus, including nougat, figs, dates, pears, hazelnuts, roast chestnuts,
apples, raisins, fruit compotes, almond cakes, and other delicacies.
In the 15th cent., Finland and Sweden enacted a law requiring the 12 days of
Christmas to be the “Christmas Peace”.
In Rumania, a symbolic cake called ‘turte’ is made with layers of paper-thin
pastry to represent the Christ child’s swaddling clothes.  Layered with
pounded walnuts and honey, it is also part of the fertility ritual of the
orchards.
This is the day when Christmas trees were set up, some sources state as
early as the 8th or 9th century in Germany.  The first written mention of a
Christmas tree dates to an unknown travel-book writer in 1604, who tells how
in Strasburg ‘they set up trees in their parlors and hang roses and colored
paper, apples, wafers, and sweets on it’.  The tradition is sometimes
attributed to Martin Luther, who compared the twinkling of the candles to
the stars in the sky on the night of Christ’s birth.

This is supposed to be the day Merlin places the sword Excalibur in the
stone, and the day the Glastonbury Thorn Tree traditionally blooms.

Coronation Day of Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor (800), William I, King of
England(1066), Baldwin, King of Jerusalem,(1100), and many others.

Domesday Book Ordered by William the Conqueror (1085) A comprehensive survey
of the assets of England.

Great Comet of 1472 Discovered (1471) By 1472 it was visible in the
daylight. On January 21, it passed within 10.5 million km of the earth.