BLOGG #71 OH NO! JANUARY SIXTH ALREADY

January sixth-Epiphany

So soon –so soon –here it is the sixth of January- or better known as  epiphany - the dictionary meaning being a sudden realization-or enlightenment,actually- the first manifestation of the infant Jesus Christ to the  populace. The Greek meaning is light – the Greek word is fos and any girl lucky enough to be born on that day is called “Fotini” or “lightness” and also can have two celebrations.  They have a big celebration on this day involving the sea. The priest goes down to the harbor to “Bless the Sea” with a holy cross –the sea being such a vital part of their culture- and surrounding him are all the good-looking young men shivering in their brief  bathing suits. After the blessing the priest tosses the cross into the sea and the eager youths dive in, each hoping to be the lucky one to retrieve it. This is a very exciting event and all the community celebrates it and I must say it is satisfying to watch on many levels . Here, on the other hand, epiphany really means turning off of the lights-typical of our cynical culture –and this means taking down all the lovely decorations and especially the tree. Some people on the Sixth Eve have a candlelit celebration with friends before doing so- a friend describes an exciting such evening when the tree accidently caught fire and the fire fighters were called. Well that sounded rather fun.  But most of us just take down the tree. I ,on the other hand, do not!  It is precisely after the celebrations in the dullness of post Christmas that I need my tree. I did take off the outer door decoration to appease my neighbours but not the tree. Mind you, my tree this year, due to economizing, is my dead potted apple tree- I haven’t the heart to throw it out and think this way is a very satisfactory way for this very old tree to bow out and I want to prolong it’s experience. One of the joys of living alone and there are many, dear readers, is the fact that you can keep your Christmas tree up until Valentine’s day if you wish and indeed I just might do that