Tribute to New year's day

Tribute to New year's day
by valpetridis @ 2009-01-02 – 22:34:47
New Year’s Day( fpr those yet unfamiliar wit the story)Although belated let’s pay tribute to new years day. In eastern rite Christianity Jan 1 is the feast day of St Basil. It is the day St Basilios is celebrated and commemorated. St Basil was a rich person in Kasseri Russia. Every New Year’s Day he gave the town’s folk food, clothes and toys for their children. The poor of kasseri anticipated news day due to the gifts of St Basil. The children esp. became anxious to receive the only gifts they ever received all year, if not for St Basils toys the children received no toys. After St Basil’s death, people gave each other gifts in tribute to St Basil and even mythesised the saint to children as still living and giving them the gifts himself. St Basil is the archetype from which St Niclous was drawn. Santa clauses red clothing came from St Basil. After the protestant reformation the Dutch like all reform nations, got rid of every saint, however being a bit superstitious and a sea faring race they saved St Nicolas, the patron St of Boats and ships. The Dutch also enjoyed the celebration of gift giving, thus they used the only saint left to them to celebrate this gift giving. They moved the celebration from New Year’s Day to Christmas day, a week earlier than St Basil’s celebration. Santa claws are Santa Niclas dressed in saint basils winter clothing.
Hope 2009 is even better than any year we have ever had.Peace