So 'they' say the Holy Family weren't refugees?

Antonio Gaudi

What?  So then the Holy Family just vacationed in Egypt?

Tiepolo

Nativity in a boat?  Remember when folks objected to that one?

Different holidays, different feast days.

New Year's Day Two: The legal holiday today.

Today is a legal holiday in the US - yesterday was the actual New Year's Day - but today is everyone else's holiday or day off because the real holiday fell on a Sunday.  So the Rose Bowl Parade happened today instead of yesterday.  Oh!  And get this.  The local parish church is closed for the secular holiday.  I know!  You can't even get in.

Church people have the best of both worlds - for those who love their days off.  Although, Church holy days are sometimes transferred if they land on a Sunday - so you might have a Sunday obligation with a holy day obligation a couple of days later.  No wait - that's not right, is it?  Although, if some holy days land on an inconvenient day, they can be transferred to a Sunday - thus 2 birds are knocked off with one stone - that is more like it.  Likewise if a solemnity other than Christmas falls on a Monday or even a Saturday - the holy day of obligation rule is often times suspended, and Father gets a holiday.  Huh?  What if St. Pat's day falls on a Friday in Lent?  The fast is usually suspended - so you can eat meat with your beer.

It's confusing, isn't it.  But it gets stranger.  For instance, those who use the EF of Mass follow the old calendar and celebrate today as the feast of the Holy Name, yet the feast, which was restored to the reformed calendar by JPII is now observed on January 3.  Isn't that quizant, Ollie?  Now you may not think it's a big deal, but it can confuse people who make novenas - when to begin them?  When to conclude them?  What day is Mass on?  What if the parish is closed like mine is today and you wanted a procession or something?   

No wonder I never know how to dress... which explains why I always wear jeans to Mass.  Not really - it's my habit - religious people have habits.  What?

So when does the New Year really begin?  No one really knows, do they...   Chinese people have their own, as do Jews, and we Catholics do too - when you consider Advent is the new liturgical year - yet there are two calendars.  Something has to be done about that. 

Oh yes!  Then there is Kwanza.  Never mind - that is just for black people.

Photo:  From my collection of favorites:  Pope receiving Catholic Cats in audience.  It could happen.

Epiphany

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Squirrel-cam...

The Christmas truce is almost over.
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Liturgically Christmas season is over after Epiphany, or is it after the Baptism of the Lord?  Yeah, I think that  is it - because Ordinary Time commences right after.  (I wish they hadn't tampered with the calendar.)  Anyway, I've observed a sort of Christmas truce this holiday season and I've been pretty decent with my blog posts, don't you think?  (I took down a Michelle Bachmann slam-bam post.  She's a local politician - "very pretty, very nice" as Mrs. Dubcek would say.) 
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Blogging is boring during the holidays anyway - people are busy.  They get all involved with family things and alcohol and drug relapses, returning unwanted gifts,  and stuff like that.  Just this morning I noted how another blogger had nothing to blog about so she wrote about ten pages of stuff.  A post about nothing.  This blogging thing is a trap however - we can start thinking we are important, really important - and we tell everything about ourselves, and sometimes even post our blogposts year in review - because we are so important.  (I'm lumping myself in with this critique you know.) 
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My uncle, a recovered alcoholic for like 40 years likes to tell people, especially when signing his Christmas letters, "You are important!"  Very nice, very pretty - but I'm not sure one should take that literally, or at least not to the extent one's vanity would have one do. 
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That said, I believe I mentioned a few months ago that I got some video equipment - I was threatening to do some online talk shows - because I think I'm so darn funny - it worked for Angela.  But now I decided against it.  Today I watched one blogger's series of videos, mostly just to see if that is what he really looks like - it was him.  I'm guessing he got it for Xmas.  I dunno - he appears normal - but that is about it - he rants.  (Unlike Father, I'm not naming names here.  I don't think Father did a Christmas truce.)  Anyway - so now I'm convinced I maybe should sell my equipment and forget the video route all together.  I was laughing at the other blogger's video - but I'm afraid viewers would not laugh at mine, even though my productions would be intended to be funny.
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Of course I could always do squirrel-cam - like Father - he feeds birds, as do I, but the squirrels eat most of it.  So I think I'll forget about that one too.  I don't want to go online begging for donations to feed wild life and travel and stuff.
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Nevertheless, I can still dream about it.  If only I had the Merv Griffin set from Seinfeld - I could maybe even invite people over to be on the show.  Or not.
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Photo:  9 ladies dancing - upstairs - sweatin' to the oldies.