"Feast of Saint Stephen " Greetings!

A Saint Stephen's Day wren Many know the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas," but few know what the "Feast of Stephen" is. This is the dinner and celebration that falls on the very day after Christmas, December 26th, or "Saint Stephen's Day." Celebrating this holiday is a part of Christmastide, and Wintertyders are encouraged to add it to their calendar for many reasons. First of all, the very day after Christmas, for many, provides an entry for the dreaded "post-holiday/Winter blues." Banish this possibility by continuing your Christmas Day celebrating right into the next day! For example, make your big ho;iday dinner a genuine Feast of Stephen by scheduling Christmas dinner for December 26th. Such planning frees up Christmas Day for nothing but fun without having to worry about dinner. Also, save a gift for each guest for Saint Stephen's Day, a small wren is the perfect gift:

Find these wonderful gifts by an Internet image search using "wren ornament." Now, then why the wren on Saint Stephen's Day? Because December 26th is the day for celebrating the "hunting of the wren," which provides good luck and fertility for the coming year. In the British Isles, the young men of the villages costume themselves as "wren boys," who hunt the wren:

Wren boys parading

The Saint Stephen's Day wren is the forebear of the English Christmas robin. Read here to learn more about how to make Saint Stephen's Day a part of your Christmastide celebration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen%27s_Day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_King_Wenceslas

"Good King Wenceslas"