Four days before Christmas, the sky will offer a sight that hasn’t been seen since the Middle Ages and may have inspired one of the Bible’s most famous stories. The two largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will be so close to one another in the sky on Dec. 21 that they will appear to be fused into a single point of light.
Was there ever more elegance and style than when women’s dress sense was further enhanced by fur stoles, veils and dress gloves. I am reminded of U.S. President Reagan’s wife Nancy Reagan when being received by the Pope. Wearing a veil this otherwise ordinary lady is transformed into an almost saintly figure.
The problem appears to be that folk simply don’t think before they buy anything these days. If they see it in media then they trust what they see.
Who is Saint Nicholas?
For a long time in Austria and some regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria, St. Nicholas was the main character in the Christmas celebration. But he was not Santa Claus, and he arrived earlier – on the 6th of December. His usual, less friendly escort went by different names in different places: “Belsnickle,” “Niglo,” “Pelznickel,” and others. Santa Claus or Father Christmas is a more recent tradition. Since the Germans (and the Dutch) brought many of their customs to America directly or indirectly, we need to look first at Europe in order to understand the American and worldwide Christmas celebration of today.
The “Nikolovarvara” The festive “triangle” of December 4, 5 and 6 (the feasts of St. Barbara, St. Savvas and St. Nicholas) was named by citizens of Cephalonia or Kefalonia – “Nikolovara”.
On December 5, the Greek Orthodox Church commemorates Agios Savvas.
Saint Barbara is the patron saint of miners. She is among the 14 Holy Helpers of the Roman Catholic Church, the “Patron of Good Death.”
St. Andrew’s Day is a national holiday in Scotland that is celebrated with feasts on November 30. It is also Scotland’s national day, marking the beginning of Scotland as a nation. Variations of the holiday are also celebrated in Romania, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Russia.
Advent — the four weeks leading up to Christmas — begins this year, in 2020 on Sunday, 29 November.
There are beautiful and rich traditions behind the celebration of Advent. Let’s take a deeper look at the focus and themes of each week of Advent and some of the traditions celebrated around the world during the Advent season.
The ancient Viking burial site in Estefall in southeastern Norway was in fact a whole complex, including a feast hall and a religious building.
Saint Catherine’s Day is 25 November. It has retained its popularity throughout the centuries. It commemorates the martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Origins and customs.
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