About This Blog

This blog is a chronicle of my insane personal challenge to celebrate at least one holiday or special day for every single day of 2009. Check back daily for new posts and days to add to next year's calendar!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

January 6th - Epiphany, Cuddle-Up Day, Sherlock Holmes' Birthday, and National Shortbread Day

HOW I CELEBRATED

Since I am not religious, and as such not a part of the Christian faith, Epiphany was a hard one for me to find a way to celebrate. No local Churches appeared to have services today, so I couldn't attend one as a guest, nor do I have a Nativity set to place the kingly figures into. The only thing I could ultimately think of to do that would be fitting was to read in the Bible about the kings/wise men's journey to the baby Jesus's manger-crib, and listen to the song "We Three Kings" which chronicles their journey.

Sherlock Holmes' Birthday was significantly easier, especially considering the fact that I have an omnibus hardcover called "The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes" containing 38 short stories and the complete "Hound of the Baskervilles". I simply read a few short stories out of the book and figured that was good.

National Shortbread Day was easiest of all the ones I've managed to celebrate so far today, I ate a couple shortbread cookies.

Cuddle-Up Day may or may not be celebrated by me, depending on whether I can find a willing person to cuddle up with when I head up to this local coffee shop I frequent. It's called Trixie's and it's on Gratiot just south of Hayes in Roseville Michigan, it's on the southbound side of the road. If you live in the area or come through, stop in and buy something.
EDIT: At about 10:30 P.M. I was able to celebrate with a friendly cuddle from a girl I know.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

If you're a practicing Christian, or live in a country where Epiphany (known by other names including 'Little Christmas', 'Theophany' and 'Three Kings Day') is nationally celebrated, following your regular traditions should be easy enough, but if you're not a practicing Christian, it's not one that really needs to be observed, so I feel an explanation is unnecessary for this one.

Sherlock Holmes' Birthday was already pretty much explained above, but reading any of the stories, watching any of the movies, any television series based on him, any old radio serial, any video game... basically any way you can celebrate the character works. Many of the original stories have lapsed into public domain, and have been collected here.

National Shortbread Day can be as easy as eating a couple shortbread cookies like I did, but it'd probably fit in with the spirit of the day better to actually bake some shortbread or shortbread cookies before eating them.

Cuddle-Up Day is self-explanitory: if you have a significant other go cuddle up with them and enjoy yourselves.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Epiphany is simply the day that the kings/wise men arrived at the manger where the baby Jesus was being cared for. Whether it would actually fall on this date or not in proper historical records is a matter of debate as many historians argue that Jesus's birth should be celebrated in the Spring to more properly coincide with the Bethlehem Census that Joseph and Mary were travelling to be counted for, but the Church disagrees, claiming that it was December 25th that he was born, and that the wise men appeared on the 12th day afterward.

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular and well-known literary characters in existence. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's own writings may have only appeared from 1890-1927 (covering a period of 1878-1907 with a definitive final case occurring in 1914) but has had countless fan-stories from novice and professional authors alike as well as hundreds of movies, radio serials, video games, television episodes, etc. adapted from and/or inspired by the original adventures. January 6th was chosen as it is canonically the character's birth date.

I do not know the significance or reason for Cuddle-Up Day or National Shortbread day being this date.

OFFICIAL THEME SONG

While I usually select an unofficial song to act as a theme for one of the holidays ocurring on a particular date, Epiphany has an official theme song of sorts in "We Three Kings".

FOOTNOTES

-There are no Catholic feast observances for saints on this date due to Epiphany.

Other Holidays and observances on this date include:
-Phi Day
-Befana Day in Italy
-Zvaigznes Day was celebrated in Ancient Latvia
-Armenian Christmas
-Haile Selassie's Birthday celebrated by Rastafarians
-Bean Day
-New Mexico Admission Day
-Apple Tree Day

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