Card Playing Day, National Chocolate Day, The Holy Innocents' Day, December 28th

If you count from Christmas Eve, today is the Fifth Day of Christmas... does someone want to send a true love my way with five golden rings?

The more traditional way to count is from Christmas Day, so I guess I should just be looking for four calling birds. Hmmm, I don't really like birds-- in fact, I would like a pet bird less than a pet rodent. Except ferrets. I hate ferrets even more than housebirds. (Both of these dislikes arose from one unfortunate slumber party experience when I was sixteen.) The way my life is going right now, I will probably end up with the four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves, as well as the partridge, all in my living room.

I know I sound bitter. I'm just suffering from the pressures of dealing with the loss of a cell phone and a car...yes, at the same time... but from two different circumstances. I feel like I have been shoved back into the Dark Ages. And it has become very difficult to arrange a tow without a cell phone.

Anyway, speaking of the Dark Ages... we have a very medieval religious holiday for today, The Holy Innocents' Day. This day is in remembrance of the baby boys that were massacred by Herod the King after he discovered that the wise men had deceived him. I find it very interesting that this day is celebrated before Epiphany, January 6th, the day that the wise men arrived to visit the Christ Child. (But, who am I to question the logic of the Catholic Church?) Anyway, by the early Christians, these children are considered the first Christian martyrs.

There are three things that make me cringe about this holy day:

1. It's regarded as The Most Unlucky Day of the Year. (If any more unlucky things happen to me this week... it will push me over the edge. Maybe I'll just stay in bed today.)

2. In England, until the 17th century, children were whipped in the morning to remind them of the "mournfulness" of the day. (Now, some children deserve this... ... You are right, of course you are right, I don't really believe in beating children into religious fervor.)

3. It is traditional to serve food red in color, to remind your guests of the blood of the martyrs. (Why, why, why, would anyone serve food hoping to remind their guests of the blood of slaughtered babies!?)

Anyway, I find it quite interesting that Card Playing Day is held on the unluckiest day of the year. I guess if you just play cards, without any of the traditional betting or other similar competitions, you won't have to worry about luck.

About National Chocolate Day... there are just so many Chocolate Days in the year...and this one isn't even chocolate covered anything! I hardly find this day worth commenting on.

But, I guess that if you eat chocolate and strawberries, while losing a card game, you will have today covered.