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Heartwings Love Notes 1014 - The Time Between

Heartwings says, "Enjoying the time between is special and sweet."

In a simpler society before the industrial age, the solstice, was considered the end of the old and the beginning of a new solar year. The next 12 days marked the length of time up to the beginning of the calendar year. So, the twelve days of Christmas could be used for relaxation and not doing more than was necessary. As hard as life was then, this would have been appropriate. The song, the Twelve Days of Christmas seems a celebration of this time.

My late Uncle Ollie gave me a songbook of the Twelve Days of Christmas. With illustrations that harked back to medieval times, it came from a museum in New York, and was historically correct. Some of the verses were slightly different from the usual, perhaps due to the language as it was spoken then. For instance, the "calling birds" I was familiar with were said to be coley birds. The book explained this word as referring to "coal black" birds of that time.

Later on, my daughter, who always had a good singing voice was chosen to sing the line, "Five gold rings," one year when her school put on a concert at Christmas. I think she was ten or eleven at the time. I can still hear her clear voice ringing out from the stage. Later on, in the days when I played my guitar and sang for gatherings, or when I performed at Hootnannies as open mikes were called in the 60's and 70's, I would often sing the verses of the song.

The holidays do bring back memories. Recently I was thinking about the twelve days of Christmas. Counting the solstice on the 21st as day one, January first becomes the 12th day. Once, when life was very different, these days were intended to solace people in the darkness of the long nights, promoting opportunities for celebration and joyful times together. They could be considered a kind of year end vacation, when no hard work is done and people could gather together to be sociable.

Of course, nowadays the wheels of industry as well as the march of commerce keep most hustling for whatever they think is important or for whatever is required of them by life. Clearly, we live in far more complicated times than the way it was in medieval or even earlier days when the song was born. Yet could we somehow use this time for its original intention? Could we just for a few days keep from rushing out to get an after Christmas sale bargain or a new car on special? Might we take the time to enjoy our gifts, listen to some old programs or sing some old songs together? The days are just as dark and the need for rest just as great now as it was then if not more so.

May your holiday time be refreshing and loving, and your New Year bountiful.


Got any easy recipes to share? Food stories to tell? I so appreciate your comments and thoughts. Please write to me at tashahal@aol.com, and for more love notes, check out www.heartwingsandfriends.com. Thanks!
 

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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