"So, how do I celebrate Wintertyde?"

Wintertyde is a newly-created season that smooths the transition from the elevated highs of the holidays to the more sedate emotions of Winter.  In short, Wintertyde works to make Winter bearable.

Wintertyde runs January 7th to about March 6th each year.  The season is about 60 days long (Lent comes in at 40, and Christmastide at 12).  Within Wintertyde lie several holidays that include the well-known, the lesser-known, and the eclectic.  Each has a protocol for celebration as does the Winteryde season in general.

It's July 2014, and now is the time to get all your Wintertyde preparations started for a smooth segue between seasons on January 7th.  The final day of Christmastide is January 5th, Epiphany falls on January 6th, and Wintertyde begins January 7th.  The sequence should segue without interruption.

Today's suggestion is to buy a 2015 wall calendar and outline Wintertyde from January 7th through March 6th. Post it someplace handy, and fill in the blanks as we go.