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Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 Jan
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Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 Jan |
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Subject: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: TrewKT Date: 17 Dec 07 - 09:16 AM MULDOON'S PICNIC GIGS IN JANUARY As the so-called "run-up to Christmas" accelerates like a jumbo jet down the festive runway, towards its culmination on the 25th of the month, it makes you wonder what happened to the Twelve Days of Christmas which used to carry us over the turn of the year to Twelfth Night or Epiphany -- not to mention half-forgotten festivals like Plough Monday, Distaff Day, Ne'erday, wassailing, the St Stephen's Day Wren Hunt and the Feast of the Ass. When you're sick of all the tinsel and tat, what you need is a reviving dose of the vigorous musical traditions that used to accompany the turning of the year. Drawing on Celtic, European and mediaeval sources, Muldoon's Picnic will present a different take on winter festivities, and may even be seen, briefly and very unusually, with musical instruments in their hands! Our TWELVETIDE concert will be performed in two locations: Lancashire - Horwich, nr Bolton Time: Saturday 5 January, 7.30pm Place: Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6AA Tickets: £6, on the door or from susanlcooper2@hotmail.com Scotland - Glasgow Time: Saturday 12 January, 7.30pm Place: Hillhead Baptist Church, Cresswell St (off Byres Rd), G12 8AE Tickets: £6 (students/unemployed £4), on the door |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: GUEST,highlandman Date: 17 Dec 07 - 01:40 PM With no intention of starting a religious debate: The "run-up" used to be called Advent, and it was intended as a spiritual preparation time (not shopping time!). In older church music traditions, Advent songs and Christmas songs were different things. Christmas was not over when all the gifts were opened, it ran twelve days up to what was once considered the more important holy day, Epiphany. I've found that observing the traditional calendar (as opposed to the retailers' calendar) brings a more relaxed, peaceful feeling to the season, as well as a slightly perverse delight in bucking the spiritus mundi. Everyone is back to work, decorations long packed away, and my family still has one gift apiece waiting to be opened. :-) Enjoy your Twelvetide celebration. If I were closer I'd drop in. -Glenn |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: GUEST,highlandman Date: 17 Dec 07 - 01:48 PM PS On looking over my post it reads as if I'm trying to 'eddicate' my fellow 'Catters.... I know better than that; I am certain that you all are collectively more aware of this sort of thing than the average person in the Christmas shopping lines. Just consider the foregoing post a 'rant.' I feel better now, anyway. :-) -G |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: PoppaGator Date: 17 Dec 07 - 02:25 PM The Feast of the Epiphany (Twelfth Night, Three Kings Day. etc., etc.) serves a dual function in several ancient Christian/Catholic cultures ~ not only does it mark the end of Christmastime, it is also the beginning of Carnival, the season of feasting and celebration that precedes, and ends quite spectacularly on the eve of, the penitential season of Lent. Just as it does in Venice, Rio de Janeiro, and other energy-centers around the globe, Carnival Time commences every year in New Orleans on January 6. While some revelers may not be aware of this custom (e.g., drunken college boys from out of town), the local folks who organize the parades and other activities, and generally put on the whole show, are certainly well aware of the date, if not all the historical particulars of the tradition. The invitation-only ball of the Twelfth Night Revelers is a hugely important annual event for the old-money high-society elite that largely sponsors the public festival of Mardi Gras. Among those of more modest means who also make contributions to the civic merrimaking, the Phorty Phunny Phellows annual "streetcar parade" up and down St. Charles Avenue on the evening of the 6th is a reminder to one and all that Carnival time is once again upon us. Another iconic element of Mardi Gras season in New Orleans is the King Cake. Everyone knows that this extra-sweet brioche (coffee cake) includes a token hidden inside (in the old days, a dried bean; today, usually, a tiny plastic baby doll), and that whoever gets the piece of cake with the baby has to give the next party or buy the next cake. NOT everyone makes the connection and realizes that the "king" referred to in the name "king cake" refers to the Three Kings, or Magi, whose visit to Baby Jesus is commemorated on the first day of Carnival season, which is also the final day of the Christmas season. As I understand it, the fact that Christmas Day under the "old" English calendar happens to fall on the twelfth day after Christmas on the Julian (or Gregorian?) calendar ~ and is thus remembered as "Old Christmas" ~ is purely coincidental, albeit more than a little serendipidous. Referring to Jan 6 as "Little Christmas," however (as opposed to "Old Christmas") is no coincidence at all. In earlier times and in certain places, giftgiving and other associated activities that we now associate with the secular side of Christmas were observed not on the Feast of the Nativity (Dec 25), but on the feastday commemorating the gift-giving visit of the Three Kings. |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: Liz the Squeak Date: 17 Dec 07 - 03:46 PM Some Orthodox churches still celebrate on the 6th as Christmas. LTS |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: wysiwyg Date: 17 Dec 07 - 05:07 PM We got Advent. We got Christmas. We got Christmastide. We got Epiphany. We got Epiphanytide, then we got Lent..... Proselytizing? No, I'm the lady who plans the folk music for those seasons for our Sat. night service, so I am very aware of these church-year cycles all the time-- if not in one or another, I'm planning for the one about to arrive. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: Emma B Date: 17 Dec 07 - 05:27 PM I think I may have posted about the tradition of Nollaig Bheag (Jan 6th) 'Little Christmas' which I have celebrated with friends in West Cork, but something so good deseves a second airing! The tradition is that men take on all the household duties on that day, including the cooking, and give their spouses a day off. Most women will either hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers, aunts etc. |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 17 Dec 07 - 05:48 PM The "run-up" used to be called Advent Used to be??? |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: Liz the Squeak Date: 17 Dec 07 - 06:02 PM Damn, forgot to put a picture up in the 'Used to be' calendar yesterday. LTS |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: Rowan Date: 17 Dec 07 - 06:09 PM Nice point, Kevin. But the Mammon worshippers among us have forgotten that Advent, like Lent, is a time for penitence if not penitents. And the pentitents aren't helped by "Advent Calendars" devoid of any relevance to either Advent or Christmas (let alone Epiphany) and attempting to celebrate what I'd regard as a very tenuous relationship between chocolate from MesoAmerica and the birth of a Nazarene. Compliments of the Season to you all. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: PoppaGator Date: 17 Dec 07 - 06:09 PM "Epiphanytide?" Does that distinctly differ from Carnival(e)? Yeah, I know, the more extreme debauchery associated with Mardi Gras is not going to happen in any church, not even an Anglican one. However, if "Epiphanytide" is a time of feasting/enjoyment/loosened discipline, a time for even the most virtuous to enjoy the pleasures they'll soon be giving up for Lent, I'd consider it to be just another name for Carnival. |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: Rumncoke Date: 17 Dec 07 - 07:39 PM In my childhood we had two cakes, one for Christmas, which was the standard rich dark fruit cake decorated with nuts - it used to be made in a large loaf tin - but it must have been a very large loaf, a couple of pounds in weight easily. That used to last all Christmas. The other is the Twelfth cake, and that is mostly candied fruit and nuts, preserved ginger, with hardly any flour etc - it is more a confection than a cake and it was annular - it used to be made in a round tin with no centre - so it was a ring, lined with greaseproof paper and an inner layer of rice paper. The fruits were not chopped like the Christmas cake but either left whole or cut into large thin slices. I remember figs and dates and whole glace cherries from my childhood. Whole almonds and half walnuts were used. It was brought out on a special plate, which was red, set on a gold doiley, on the evening of the twelfth day, and was suposed to ensure that the following Christmas would be good. |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: wysiwyg Date: 17 Dec 07 - 07:50 PM Epiphanytide In the Anglican lectionary/calendar, it's the weeks between Epiphany Sunday itself and the beginning of Lent. It may not be Carnivalish, but our music sometimes is! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: Fidjit Date: 18 Dec 07 - 04:54 AM As for Plough Monday, well here's a href="http://www.strawbear.org.uk/">After Christmas celebrations for you. Chas |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: Fidjit Date: 18 Dec 07 - 04:58 AM I'll try that again. Chas After Christmas celebrations |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: GUEST,TrewKT Date: 19 Dec 07 - 08:23 AM refresh |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas From: GUEST,Neil D Date: 19 Dec 07 - 09:55 AM So tell us about Boxing Day then. I still see it on calendars and I have heard it began as a day off work for the servants who had to work the big parties on Christmas. It was called Boxing Day because they got to box up the leftovers and take them home. Presumably, even being leftovers it was still better food than their common fare. I know it is not celebrated in The States (most USers have never even heard of it). Is it still celebrated in other countries (UK, Canada, etc.)? Is it a legal holiday from work? How is it celebrated? Any peculiar customs associated with it? From what historical period does it originate? |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 Jan From: PoppaGator Date: 19 Dec 07 - 11:34 AM I've heard of Boxing Day (here in the US) but of course have never witnessed it being celebrated in any way. The way it was explained to me, "boxing" referred to getting presents in boxes, and back in the old country (or as my grandparents would say, "on the other side"), friends visited each other and exchanged gifts not on Christmas Day, which was reserved for Church and Family, but on the day after. The above slightly different and more detailed explanation involving overworked servants sounds very plausible, though. Perhaps the custom originated among the "upstairs/downsairs" crowd and later spread through the general population. However: From what I know (from movies and BBC-import TV), servants in England, at least those working for the really big-time elite, wouldn't have "brought home" leftovers from Massa's house ~ they lived right on the premises, as required for the convenience of the ruling class. |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 J From: Rowan Date: 19 Dec 07 - 06:26 PM While I can't speak for other countries, Boxing Day is celebrated in Oz. While some among us are seriously religious I suspect that, if you wished to 'characterise' comparisons between national stereotypes, most Australians would regard themselves as a lot more laid back about religious observance than the US or even UK. When it comes to your Midwinter", Saturnalia, Christmas holiday season etc, we've inherited the traditions but in the heat of Midsummer and in the time of the longest school holidays for everyone except the Top Enders in their Wet Season; they have their longest school holidays in the Dry Season surrounding our Midwinter. Boxing Day has few widely recognised rituals. Taking the kids to the beach, using the leftovers from Christmas Day, visiting the spouse's rellies who couldn't be met up with on Christmas Day, starting the Test match (cricket) at the MCG (usually, but not always, beating the trip out of the English but, this year, fronting up to the Indians), competing with eleventy million others at the Boxing Day sales, driving long distances for one's summer holidays after doing the Christmas duties, going to Nariel for the longest-running folk festival in Oz; that's most of the Oz Boxing Day rituals I can think of. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 J From: Rowan Date: 19 Dec 07 - 07:45 PM Oh, and not being from Sydney, I forgot that the Sydney to Hobart yacht race starts on Boxing Day. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 Jan From: Fliss Date: 20 Dec 07 - 09:30 AM The name "Boxing" comes from medieval times when the clergy, on the day after Christmas, were supposed to empty the alms boxes and distribute the alms collected among the poor. Christmas Day was a quarter day and the tennants had to pay their rents to the landlord. Try putting 'Boxing Day Traditions' in Google. There is lots of info about it... not all correct tho. This link has good info about Christmas. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_xmas.htm We seem to have lost advent over the past 10 years. And the 12 days afterwards. Now the commercial selling starts in September and by Christmas I for one am fed up with all the hard sell. We only seem to hear carols on the TV up to Christmas Eve. This year Ive said only small presents, cut down on food and just enjoy the family getogether. Ive put my decorations up this morning. Happy christmas everyone. fliss |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 Jan From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 20 Dec 07 - 09:51 AM It's good to hear from people here who share some of my interests, such as playing instruments and having fun. My group of friends has a loose tradition of a Three Kings party, keeps the season going and utilizes a lot of Em and Am and puts the percussion collection to work. This year the party will be held at the home of our beloved guitarist on January 1st. I call January 1st 'National Pointless Day.' At our house, there is no TV and no interest in football. On January 1st, an amazing silence falls upon the urban landscape, and we look at each other and say, "Why do we have today off?" So the Three Kings party and National Pointless Day seemed made for each other. There will be a number of ministers there, overworked from the holiday season and very glad to be pampered by somebody else. I'm going to start a related thread asking for more tunes related to the Three Kings. |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 Jan From: GUEST,Ana from Chicago Date: 26 Dec 07 - 09:21 PM I love reading how all of you celebrate(or hope, wish to, etc..) Epiphany and the info some of you have provided. Being Hispanic(and American) I wanted to start a new tradition w/the family as we're all so disappointed that smack dab midnight December 26th it is the end of Christmas as we know it. Furthermore, we were just your average and basic all around do whatever on Christmas AM American family. So I started the "Epiphany" or "Festival de los Magos Reyes" celebration where we add the Magi(three wise men) to our manger scene and we all have one gift to give another and have a small yet celebratory feast reminding us of our rich heritage and the reason for the season, yadda yadda. We had the la rosca de reyes, hid the baby in the cake, Well, after five years this turned out sour last year as my younger sister who is mad for rockabilly music decided to change the custom to "the Kings' day," IE, exchanging gifts on Elvis Presley's birthday that are Elvis related. Uh, yeah...has nothing to do with Epiphany, or Christmas, but my mother loves it despite the rest of us hate it. Alas, this coming Epiphany/Elvis' birthday we won't be doing "the Kings' day" or "Festival de los Magos Reyes" as my younger sister and mother don't want to deviate from the Elvis kings' day deal and don't want to celebrate the actual day of Epiphany. Besides, my other siblings(as well as myself) find it not only ridiculous but close to impossible to find new and different Elvis gifts, as who the hell wants another Elvis necktie? I already have two Elvis' clocks with the legs moving side to side like a Grandfather clock. Oh well, to not be the favorite in the family, right? Snicker... RE: music for Three Kings Day, how 'bout three tunes from the "king" of rock and roll? Kidding.... Cheers and happy holidays to all! |
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Subject: RE: Twelvetide: Celebrating Old Christmas 5 & 12 Jan From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 26 Dec 07 - 09:49 PM You have my sympathy, Ana. I for one have disliked Elvis Presley's music from the first time I heard it, at about the age of ten. If you want to continue celebrating your heritage, why don't you have a dinner and invite the rest of the family. I bet your mother and sister will forget Elvis when they realize they are missing out on a good thing. |
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