Holiday-Themed Song of the Day: "Tacobel Canon" :
By Christine Lavin and the Mistletones, from
The Runaway Christmas Tree. Christine Lavin is the queen of singer/songwriter snark, and her Christmas album produced a slue of gems. This one is a take-off on everyone's favorite graduation processional "Pachelbel's Canon."
Strange Solstice Factoid:
The prehistoric architectural wonder known as Maeshowe was built similiarly to Newgrange. Maeshowe was constructed to receive the final ray of light as the sun set on Solstice night.
Learn more. Located in Stennes, Scotland, this structure dates back to 2700 BC.
Holiday Tradition of the Day: The Christmas Tree:
The notion of bringing a tree indoors may seem odd, albeit charming, in today's society. But filling halls and homes with evergreen trees is another thing Christians borrowed from the Solstice-celebrating pagans. The evergreen was a symbol of longevity, and in many ways served as a good luck charm; it stood also for continuity of life. Lighting these trees helped ward off the non-auspicious spirits of darkness.
Gift of the Day:
The English Lute Song. The lute was introduced to the Britons by the Muslim Moors, who called it 'Ud (or wood). It's quite a classic folk instrument, and these English folk songs composed for it make great background music for egg nog drinking.
