Second Christmas

Seeing double, are you??

Happy Second Christmas!

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A double Christmas, you ask?? You ARE celebrating it today, aren't you?

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Years ago, when first becoming acquainted with my husband's family, I learned about something called, "Second Christmas". His grandmother usually hosted it. At Thanksgiving each year, she would say, "I'll be having Second Christmas......be sure you come."

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The term "Second Christmas" was a bit perplexing and I initially assumed it was simply a quirk celebration in my husband's family. Eventually, I found out that the Lutherans used to have a church service on Second Christmas, indicating that December 26th had some sort of official religious holiday designation.

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One of the guys who hauls our milk rents farmland in the Old Order Amish community not far from here. In the winter he also hires out with his tractor to clear snow from Amish farmyards. Recently he told us that the Amish celebrate Christmas for two days......the 25th and 26th. Incidently, they also will not allow him to do farm work on Amish-owned land on Good Friday each year. I would imagine that might hold true for Sundays, too.

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An internet search turned up a few references to "Second Christmas". It is an old German tradition and the day, known as Zweite Weihnachtstag (Second Christmas Day), is still an official holiday in Germany, I believe. It provides an excuse for another day of Christmas feasting and merriment! Probably, the multi-day festival harks back to the week or so of feasting done at this winter solstice time of year in pre-Christian Germanic tribes, too.

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Here's a link which mentions "Second Christmas".

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And, here's another.

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And, yes......one more.

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ENJOY SECOND CHRISTMAS!!

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[How is the weather where you are? Its snowy here, again. Our married daughter and her husband are here for a couple days, and our married son and his wife are in the vicinity, alternating visits between her parents' home in Readlyn and our place. So, we will be content to stay home and celebrate "Second Christmas" by continuing to feast---on leftovers from yesterday's dinner, and and the holiday sweet treats that have accumulated. Oh, my......crucial it is to make the effort to bundle up and get myself outdoors to WALK off some of the unneeded calories. Its difficult to get thusly motivated in this icy cold weather, though. Why, oh, why is it so easy to keep on eating??!]

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