...on the Feast of Stephen

"Good King Wencelas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,

When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even..."

The feast day of St. Stephen was not officially celebrated this year since it fell on a Sunday, which was the Feast of the Holy Family, but we brought our new book, Stephen's Feast, so Uncle Stephen could read it to the girls on his "name day." And outside the snow had fallen, the day before, and was certainly still on the ground, and very crisp as well! What a treat to have snow on Christmas Day in Georgia - I only remember one Christmas in the mid-80s when it snowed on Christmas morning, and I was sick with strep throat and couldn't go out and play in it!

Interestingly, I had made a recipe of my grandma's (my dad's mom) to share with everyone to see if they recognized it - it is a raisin cookie that has a very distinct taste because the only spice used in it is cloves. The cookies - for some reason - are called "rocks." St. Stephen, who was the first martyr, was stoned to death... with real rocks, of course. The snow, seeing Uncle Stephen, the "rocks," - all happening on the Feast of St. Stephen!