Handsel Monday

Besides Little Christmas and Orthodox Christmas,

this week in January also brought another reason to celebrate,

depending on your perspective.

Monday, January 6th was not only Little Christmas,

it was also a traditional holiday in Scotland called Handsel Monday.

"Handsel" is a variant of an Old English word, "handsell"  that meant 

"to hand to or to give."

Strome Castle, Scottish Highlands
en.wikipedia.org

Auld Handsel Monday was celebrated by giving a few coins

or small gifts to children and servants.

If you receive money on Handsel Monday,

you will have good luck with money all year.

I found an old text from the National Library of New Zealand

that described the celebration. 

(Source is here: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=BH18900328.2.2

Apparently the servants and common folk particularly loved this holiday,

so they would begin to celebrate at midnight by banging tin pans

up and down the streets.

Their party would continue until midnight of the next day.

At some point, they would go door to door begging gifts,
and participate "in raffles for currant loaves, watches, wheelbarrows, and pigs."
And they'd finish the festivities by drinking toddies

at one another's houses.

Ben Nevis Mountain, Scotland. theplanetd.com

Christmas and New Year's grew in popularity,

eventually supplanting Auld Handsel Monday.

So if you missed celebrating it, you're in good company.

But it's not too late to drink a toddy and eat some currant bread.
And if you're lucky,
someone might give you a few coins or a watch.
And if you're really lucky,
maybe a pig in a wheelbarrow.
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Orthodox Christmas

As most of the country swirls inside the "polar vortex,"

we here in the Shire are also trying to stay warm.

Southern houses aren't built for temperatures in the teens,

and every room seems to carry a chill,

but happily, we are staying warm.

You can't do this without the polar vortex!

www.sculpture-info.com

So as we all seek shelter from the cold,

let's look at another of the reasons to celebrate January.

Today is Christmas in orthodox traditions,

celebrated by those who follow the Gregorian calendar.

So Merry Christmas!

www.eskimo-ice.co.uk

Ice sculpture Christmas tree:

www.icesculptures.co

A polar vortex that keeps ice sculptures sparkling like diamonds

and one more chance at Christmas.

It could be a lot worse.

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Little Christmas

To me, January 6th has always been "Little Christmas."

I don't know where I first heard the name,

maybe it filtered down through the generations

 from my Irish great great grandmother

since the name is traditional in Ireland as nollaig bheag.

Or maybe it's because my Dad often referred to it that way.

www.osgoodhall.com

Regardless of where I heard it, I love the name.

After all the fuss and bustle and frenzy of Christmas in December,

January 6th is a happy little secret, unsullied by the avarice of commercialism.

Maybe that's why it seems more calm and peaceful to me.

www.trendsimages.com

Eastern churches traditionally regard January 6th as Christmas,

western churches December 25th.

 I love the idea of celebrating both.

Whether you consider January 6th Christmas or the Feast of the Epiphany,

Little Christmas makes January special.

So have yourself a "Merry Little Christmas."

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