Return of the Sun

Some Solstice foods (well, what did you expect, I am a hearthwitch) We had the brioche with eggs sunny side up for breakfast. The noodle pudding, looking all sun-flarey was part of dinner. I would have loved to have been able to watch the live webcast from New Grange, but I am just the wrong age, too old or too young. My 20 year old was awake at that hour (3am-ish NY time) because when you are that age, well sometimes you just forget to sleep. And my soon to be 97 year old Grandmother was awake at that hour too, because? Well, I guess just because. Although since she still lives a life without computers she didn't watch the webcast either. I'll bet, though, that at one point or another, she did actually visit New Grange-I believe that Saudi Arabia is the only place that she hasn't been, at least once in her life. I will try to remember to ask.

Sunday night, we started lighting the Chanukkah (todays spelling, tomorrow may be different) Menorah. Two candles the first night, three the next, and so on, encouraging the return and strengthening of the sun. Yes, I know that isn't the kosher explanation, but we also ate bacon with our eggs, ok?

An interesting thing about the candles in the menorah. The first candle is called "shammas" or "shammash" and is usually explained to mean "servant" or "helper." It is used to light the other candles. BUT, if you look the word up in the dictionary, shin, mem, shin is translated as...Sun. Shammash is the Sun, the Canaanite Sun God, who lights the other lights, but is diminished not. This also works with Kabbalistic, and thus, by (long) extension non esoteric Judaism. The Sun and/or Sun God is the "helper" in bringing the light, but it isn't the originating source.

And now, to bed. I did a lot of cooking today, in preparation for Christmas, because yes, we "do" that one, too.