St. Colly Birds

Anyone else having a weird sleep pattern? I am exhausted by 6:30, in bed by 9, asleep by 9:10 and wide awake at 11:00pm, asleep again by 4am.  Maybe it is the full moon?

I watched Skyfall yesterday; the gift to myself, the wish for February.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…. December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents or Children s Mass.  This day honors the male children ages 2 and under who were ordered slaughtered by King Herod in his attempt to rid Israel of a rival king. Estimations are that about 25 children were killed.

                  The massacre of the Holy Innocents by Duccio di Buoninsegna

Tradition dictates that the youngest child in the household is allowed to rule for a day. They choose the foods that are eaten, the activities of the day ending the evening with a dessert that is red in color or has a red sauce on it.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…. Four Collie Birds. Yes that is what the original scripts say, Collie Birds. A Collie Bird is a Blackbird, a member of the Thrush family. Some versions are written Canary Birds. Other versions have them written as Colored Birds, Curley Birds, and Corley Birds. Some say they were sent because of their beautiful song, others seem to think they were meant as a food gift. But maybe they were sent as a prayer as in the story of St. Mochuille or St. Colly. I would like to be surrounded by 4 monks like St.Colly. It is symbolic but of what I do not know.

As for me I am thinking that red velvet ice cream is nice red dessert for tonight.

Coventry Carol which is heard at Christmas is about the story of the Holy Innocents. Here are the lyrics and song.

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child

By by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child

By by, lully lullay

O sisters too, how may we do

For to preserve this day

This poor youngling

For whom we do sing

By by, lully lullay?

Herod, the king

In his raging

Charged he hath this day

His men of might

In his own sight,

All young children to slay

That woe is me

Poor child for thee!

And ever morn and day,

For thy parting

Neither say nor sing

By by, lully lullay!