12th Night - 6th Jan

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 08:41 PM

Hi there,

I would like to wish all my friends on here a happy "Little Christmas" or "Feast of the Epiphany". Unfortunately as I have had to work today I have not had time to prepare a special meal for my family so to Celebrate I have ordered a "Chinese" out of respect of the fact that the kings came from the orient and it is traditional to eat spicy food on this day!!!I have now also turned off the outside lights and taken down the set which ran across the front of the house in respect of English tradition, but I've left the ones in the lawn and on the hedges as they are covered in snow and its bloomin' cold out there so I don't fancy digging wires out from under 6" of snow. I have however left the trees etc up inside but not lit and have one set of amber lights lit on my fireplace. My 3 wise men have also completed their journey to see Jesus in his manger and i can see them ooohing and aaaahhhing at them as I type - strange thing is although they have their fancy gifts in their hands not one of them has offered them to Mary yet.

In the Eastern Orthodox Churches it is believed that this is actually the day when Jesus was born and so in countries such as Greece amongst other countries they celebrate their Christmas today.

It is also believed that it is the date of the Wedding Feast at Cana (where Jesus changed the water into wine) so I'm sure the only thing respectful to do tonight would be to have a drink or two in thanks!!! Cheers, Bottoms up, Slainte and Yakki DA!!!

I found the following link which seems to be directed at the English population which I felt some of you may find useful - if not for this year then bookmark it for next.

http://www.ehow.com/how_9405_celebra...-epiphany.html

And another with some interesting facts.

http://wf-f.org/epiphany.html

Ha ha ha ha - I bet you all thought I'd forgotten cause I didn't mention it all day!!!

**nannymcflea** · 06-01-2010, 08:45 PM

Bless you, kings have reached their goal here.

didn't know it was traditional to have spicy foods...thankfully we had a curry!

**FussyElmo** · 06-01-2010, 08:52 PM

My kings have made it to the stable today. Glad Im not the only one to do this as my dh thinks I have gone mad

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by nannymcflea

Bless you, kings have reached their goal here.

didn't know it was traditional to have spicy foods...thankfully we had a curry!

phew - traditionally speaking you are saved - when will you put it away???

**Playmate** · 06-01-2010, 09:00 PM

Slainte! to you too. Enjoy

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by FussyElmo

My kings have made it to the stable today. Glad Im not the only one to do this as my dh thinks I have gone mad

EH!!!! you should live here - he is huffing and puffing 'cause all the christmas Sh** hasn't been put away yet - he tried to get me to start taking it down today with a house full of snowbound mindees - I never ever stay in all day and I've just done it for 2 days on the trot - its driven me mad!!! Having schoolies here all day in winter is hard work - mine are all usually TTO's so I'm not used to them being around from 9-3.30 - I let them do what ever they wanted TB X Box in and out to play in the snow - the lot - I even took the littlies and some toys into my living room to give them space. They had a fab day - my two were here too.

**zillervalley** · 06-01-2010, 09:01 PM

oops I had a pork hot pot, did put some spices in though

ziller

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 09:03 PM

I'm sure that's just fine - we used to have a roast dinner in Ireland but we would have stuff like spicy cakes & puddings etc that had been knocking around since christmas - If in doubt have a mince pie or some christmas pudding!!!!

**mama2three** · 06-01-2010, 09:15 PM

I think our potato wedges were spicy!

i drive DH mad , if he had his way all the decs would have been down on boxing day!!
we were talking about the epiphany today , Q wanted to know what took them so long!

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by mama2three

I think our potato wedges were spicy!

i drive DH mad , if he had his way all the decs would have been down on boxing day!!
we were talking about the epiphany today , Q wanted to know what took them so long!

Food choice sounds good to me and as for the Q I personally don't think they did too badly done up in that fancy gear with only camels for transport - they covered a fair amount of ground - and they had the added problem of looking after dem der gifts. All in all I think 12 days isn't too bad at all remember it was mid-night on 24th in Bethlehem so with the time difference and all that they started on the back foot - then there was the packing and deciding what to buy then the shopping - yeah all in all not too bad I feel!!!!

**charleyfarley** · 06-01-2010, 09:33 PM

Sounds like I'm begging for forgiveness yet again Heaven Scent

Chicken salad for tea, no spices but I did have pepper, does that count

I could have a mince pie but the diet won't allow it

And my tree and decs came down on Saturday although Charley still has her little pink one up in her bedroom.

Carol xx

**sarah707** · 06-01-2010, 09:34 PM

I feel very educated now

**Twinkles** · 06-01-2010, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by Heaven Scent

Food choice sounds good to me and as for the Q I personally don't think they did too badly done up in that fancy gear with only camels for transport - they covered a fair amount of ground - and they had the added problem of looking after dem der gifts. All in all I think 12 days isn't too bad at all remember it was mid-night on 24th in Bethlehem so with the time difference and all that they started on the back foot - then there was the packing and deciding what to buy then the shopping - yeah all in all not too bad I feel!!!!

Just as well it wasn't snowing or the 'camel train' would have been cancelled

**wendywu** · 06-01-2010, 09:53 PM

Well i was talking to a minder who is a Jehovas Witness. She was saying that they dont do christmas as they dont believe that Jesus was born on this day.

That he was 33 and a half when he died ( i didnt know that ) at Easter so that would make his birthday around the end of September start of October. The Romans roped the date the 25th of Dec in to coincide with one of the pagan festivals. All very interesting really.

I told her my DD would lynch me if i did not do Christmas or Birthdays

**ORKSIE** · 06-01-2010, 09:56 PM

We had chinese....Thanks for that ...have learnt alot XX

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by charleyfarley

Sounds like I'm begging for forgiveness yet again Heaven Scent

Chicken salad for tea, no spices but I did have pepper, does that count

I could have a mince pie but the diet won't allow it

And my tree and decs came down on Saturday although Charley still has her little pink one up in her bedroom.

Carol xx

I feel that Charley's tree is your salvation - my child!!!

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Twinkles

Just as well it wasn't snowing or the 'camel train' would have been cancelled

Especially if it was like in 1990/1991 when it was the wrong type of snow - i was working in London then and experienced the effects of it 1st hand

**mama2three** · 06-01-2010, 10:10 PM

and as for the Q I personally don't think they did too badly done up in that fancy gear with only camels for transport -

Q is Quinn my 3 year old - I didnt mean i wondered what took them so long! I thought i explained it quite well until he asked why they didnt go on a plane!
was trying to work out how to say happy epiphany in gaelic too , go as far as la chinn but so many prefixes for the happy bit!

**charleyfarley** · 06-01-2010, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Heaven Scent

I feel that Charley's tree is your salvation - my child!!!

I'm saved then, thank goodness for that

I'll remember or try to remember all this for next year

Carol xx

**Heaven Scent** · 06-01-2010, 10:15 PM

"The Romans roped the date the 25th of Dec in to coincide with one of the pagan festivals."

Well that is sort of true but the pagan festival is on the shortest day 21st Dec so I don't know what the significance of 25th - who says he was exactly 33 & 1/2 he could have been 33 & 1/4. None of us know for sure but they are all nice traditons that brighten up our lives and give families an excuse to take time out to get together and celebrate. Life would be very dull without our various celebrations!!!

I know I have been brought up in a strict catholic family in a catholic country but I certainly do not follow the teachings of the church blindly to the letter of the law. A lot of the rules were made to suit men but I do love tradition and I hate materialism - says she bwith her Bo Ho home full of a mish mash of nick nacks from all over the world. Not many Catholic bits and bobs though!!