January 1, The Circumcision of Our Lord (The Holy Name), New Year's Day

The Ombudsman thinks I need to explain circumcision. You can watch "Meet The Fockers" to get the technical bits, but of course circumcision is more than just that. Circumcision designates a Jewish male as descended from Abraham and his entering in to the original Covenant with God. At this time the child would also receive his name. Although not bound by the law, Christ fulfilled the law and so was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke, ii, 21), and received his name Jesus, meaning "He saves". He was, as St. Paul says, "made under the law", i.e. and submitted to the original Covenant, "that he might redeem them who were under the law: that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Gal., iv, 4, 5). I'm sure there was some medieval carol that covered all this, but I don't know it, so I'm going to choose the beautiful "Lullay my liking, my dear son" because I imagine a baby would need some lulling after being circumcised.

As for New Year's Day, the early church spent a while trying to pin down a date for the New Year. January 1st was the Roman choice for the day as it was the Feast of Janus, the god who looks both ways. The Church disapproved of the immense revelry that traditionally surrounded this day, and for a while attempts were made to celebrate the New Year in Spring, eventually though January 1st won and so...Happy New Year! You can party down with the rousing "Gloucestshire Wassail". or you can solemnly ponder the cycle of the year with the carol "Green Grow'th the Holly". Henry VIII apparently composed the haunting tune, but I try not to hold that against it.

Green Grow'th the Holly

Green grow'th the holly,
So doth the ivy;
Though winter blasts blow ne'er so high,
Green grow'th the holly.

Gay are the flowers,
Hedgerows and ploughlands;
The days grow longer in the sun,
Soft fall the showers.

Full gold the harvest,
Grain for thy labour;
With God must work for daily bread,
Else, man, thou starvest.

Fast fall the shed leaves,
Russet and yellow;
But resting-buds are snug and safe
Where swing the dead leaves.

Green grow'th the holly,
So doth the ivy;
The God of life can never die.
Hope! saith the holly.