Jan 6

Epiphany, Feast of the

One of the oldest Christian feasts, (celebrated since the end of the second century, before the establishment of the Christmas holiday), Epiphany (which means "manifestation" or "showing forth") is sometimes called Twelfth Day, Three Kings' Day, or the Feast of Jordan (by Ukrainian Orthodox), or Old Christmas Day.

It commemorates the first two occasions on which the divinity of Jesus was manifested: when the three kings (or wise men or Magi) came to worship the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, and when he was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and proclaimed him the Son of God. The Roman Catholic emphasize the visit of the Magi when they celebrate the Epiphany; the Eastern Orthodox churches focus on the baptism of Jesus.

Haxey Hood Game

This centuries-old tradition in Haxey, England can be traced back more than six hundred years, when Lady Mowbray, whose husband owned a large portion of the parish of Haxey, lost her hood to a sudden gust of wind and thirteen local men struggled gallantly to retrieve it. She showed her appreciation by staging an annual reenactment of the event, which is believed by some to be the origin of rugby, an English sport that combines soccer with American football.

The game known as Throwing the Hood, which takes place on Old Christmas Day (January 6) each year, involves a Lord (who acts as umpire and master of ceremonies), thirteen Plough-Boggins (presumably named for the way the original thirteen men turned up the soil in their efforts to capture the hood), a Fool, and as many others as care to participate. After several warm-up rounds with sham hoods, the real contest begins. The participants wrestle over a piece of leather stuffed with straw, coins, and other fillings.

Griffon LeStrange's Birthday

This is also the Birth day of Griffon LeStrange.