Comments: LETTING IT LIE.

Happy Christmas (I like the British way better than "Merry") and Happy Chanukah! Happy holidays! What's the "feast of Stephen"? Who's Stephen?

Posted by mj at December 25, 2005 05:14 PM

Saint Stephen Protomartyr (the first martyr).

Posted by languagehat at December 25, 2005 06:44 PM

Oh yeah, I know about Stephen. But where does the "feast" come from, and why does he have a special day?

Actually, Stephen was a martyr in a long line of martyrs (if you count the Old Testament prophets who were stoned, etc. to death).

Posted by mj at December 26, 2005 12:36 AM

The feast is in the old sense of the word, 'a religious day appointed to be held with rejoicing'. Festival is from the same Latin root, 'festus'.

Posted by aldiboronti at December 26, 2005 04:03 AM

BTW I think Stephen was the first Christian martyr.

Posted by aldiboronti at December 26, 2005 04:05 AM

And I have a perfect excuse for the above befuddlement (parroting what Steve had already said about his namesake) as it's Christmas!

Posted by aldiboronti at December 26, 2005 10:45 AM

Thanks--I didn't know "feast" meant that.

Posted by mj at December 26, 2005 01:41 PM

This is an interesting thing to know. Anyways, Merry Christmas to all here.

Posted by paul at December 27, 2005 09:17 AM

An excuse to retail a terrible *joke* told by the conductor at a Christmas musical evening at the Barbican Hall in London on Dec. 23

What was King Wenceslas' favourite food?

Pizza - because it's deep pan crisp and even ....


Posted by Paul at December 28, 2005 07:31 AM