Happy New Year!
This past week I learned a couple new definitions for this specific time of year. Maybe these words and phrases have been around awhile. I had just never heard of them. See if you have heard of them.
Twixmas: the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, from 27-30 December. The word Twixmas is derived from the English word Betwixt, meaning between, and is the time period between all the holiday festivities, when things slow down. It is a time to relax around the house, watch a lot of TV, finish the Christmas leftovers, and return presents.
I believe we used to call this Christmas Break.
My first question is why doesn’t Twixmas begin on the 26th? Why can’t people begin this relaxing time the day after Christmas?
Twixmas doesn’t seem to be such a big deal if you are retired. Retirement certainly has its advantages and many days are Twixmas-like around here.
Good Riddance Day/Regrets Day: 28 December, when you throw out unpleasant memories from the year, memories that you want to forget. Symbolically, you write down unpleasant memories and throw them away.
The idea of writing an unpleasant memory down and burning, throwing, or flushing it away has been around awhile. This tactic has not been a successful memory-blocker for me. I can burn or flush away lots of little pieces of paper inscribed with bad recollections, but the unpleasant memories still resurface from time to time. Maybe I need a hotter incinerator or a bigger toilet.
More importantly, December 28 has a Christian significance. The day is known as Holy Innocents Day or Childermas, in honor of the children of Israel who were killed by King Herod in his attempt to find and kill baby Jesus.
Although the 28th has passed, there are still a few days of Twixmas left to enjoy.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2023.