Today is Boxing Day, a day I always hated. But since it is Sunday it will be probably be worse tomorrow, like a nightmare that you live again two nights in a row. Did I mention that I hate Boxing Day? I usually spend the day locked in, reading, watching movies, whatever I can find to avoid going out and meeting civilisation. Although seeing as how people behave like a herd on Boxing Day, "civilisation" might be a generous word.
The 26th of December is supposed to be St Stephen's Day, a saint I know nothing about but his martyrdom and the mention of this day in Good King Wenceslas. Always loved that song, which is also a nice little story. But I love it for its winter atmosphere. Its mentions of cruel frost and rude wind means something to someone who grew up in such winters. When I was a child, I could barely understand English, but the music was enough to make me enjoy Good King Wenceslas. It is also one of those Christmas carols that I associate with Dungeons & Dragons, both because of the setting of its subject and in its music, which dates back to the XIIIth century. Characters walking in the snow on a cold winter night (or day) is a campaign cliché I always loved (and so did my brother who is also our DM). So since I won't play the game any time soon and since I did not put many Christmas carols here, I thought I would put this one. It is, after all, the Feast of Stephen and the frost outside is cruel:
Its a wonderful carol, and warms the heart, and if you dance a little jig to it, the feet :-) Thank you
ReplyDeleteI always see "Boxing Day" on my calendar, but being in the US I've never celebrated it. In all honesty, I know it's some sort of gift giving holiday associated with the Christmas season...but that's about it.
ReplyDeleteI like to imagine it as a day that Canadians put on boxing gloves and pummel one another while playing the Rocky theme song! If that were what it was all about, I'd immediately start celebrating it here! To my knowledge, there are no holidays that involve punching people...and that just seems like a shame! ;-)
@Anonymous-Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
ReplyDelete@The Gill-Man-Good to see you again! I just find it absurd that after spending so much time (and money) buying gifts for Christmas, people just rush to stores again. I am all for a holiday about boxing.