The True Meaning of Brumalia

UPDATE: This post has been re-uploaded 08/10/2013. Enjoy, NØ

I posted this last holiday season & deleted it after the holidaze. Numerous friends have been ‘suggesting’ that I re-instate it, so here it be.

Thousands of years before Christ, people worshipped the sun. The shortest day of the year was December 21st. When they realized the sun was returning for longer periods each day, they celebrated...on December 25th. They exchanged gifts in decorated boxes, sang songs, played games & feasted. They also believed mistletoe, holly berries & evergreen wreaths (round like the sun) were sacred. They used them to decorate their houses.

The 12 Days of Brumalia was an internet event presented by The Residents & Residents.com in 2003 to celebrate the original holiday that the Roman Church adopted as Xmas. For 12 days, starting on December 25th, a new song was posted on Residents.com web site along with an illustration & a quote. On the 13th day, The Residents presented the epic musical work, The Feast of Epiphany. Ralph America compiled the audio tracks for a CD release in the summer of 2004.


From Residents.com:
"The Roman Catholic Church absorbed the Brumalian rituals around 350 A. D. In the fifth century the church ordered Xmas to be celebrated forever on the Brumalia, December 25, inasmuch as no certain knowledge of Christ’s birthday existed. The birthday of the sun, became the birthday of the son.

What you celebrate is not important. The important thing is to notice the circle, the cycle of life & acknowledge it with a bit of celebration. Each human is allowed a limited number of year cycles. Make this year count & do something cool."

The Residents - The 12 Days of Brumalia,
Ralph America RA17, 2004.
decryption code in comments

Tracklist -

The True Meaning of Brumalia
1st Day - Partridge Pairing
2nd Day - Turtle Dove
3rd Day - Chicken of the Oui
4th Day - Calling Bird
5th Day - Golden Rings
6th Day - Lying Goose
7th Day - Swami Swam
8th Day - Maid Being Milked
9th Day - Wiggling Wahines
10th Day - Leaping & Lords
11th Day - Pieta's Piper
12th Day - Big Hand
The Feast of the Epiphany

Enjoy,
NØ