Beyond The Ordinary
I was like this once.
The above is from The Holyrood Website. I was born on 14th Sept. - Holy Rood Day.
Bearing - and Exalting - The Cross
Holy Rood Day, celebrated annually on September 14th, is a Christian feast day also known as Holy Cross Day, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, or Roodmas. It commemorates the finding of The True Cross by Saint Helena, the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the recovery of the cross by Emperor Heraclius. Rood is an old English term for the cross.
Key Aspects And Usage Examples.
Liturgical Celebration: Churches, including Anglican and Catholic, hold services to celebrate the victory of the cross, often using red vestments to symbolize the blood of Christ.
"Nutting Day": In English tradition, September 14th was formerly known as Nutting Day, when children were given a holiday to go out and gather hazel nuts, often before the "Devil" could spoil them.
Folklore and Harvest: It marks a time to start looking for nuts in the woods, often considered a "cross-quarter" type day signaling the approach of autumn.
Reflection: Christians are encouraged to "take up the cross," put sin to death, and reflect on the love of God, according to resources from the Anglican Compass.
Synonyms And Related Names.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: The formal liturgical title.
Holy Cross Day: Commonly used in the Anglican Communion.
Roodmas / Rood Mass Day: Referring to a mass held on this day (similar to Christmas/Candlemas).
Nutting Day: A folk name in England, referenced by the Darlington and Stockton Times.
Finding of the Cross: Sometimes used, although traditionally this was associated with May 3rd, notes Wikipedia.
The Church of England provides specific liturgical resources for Holy Cross Day.
Beyond The Ordinary
Li
Opposite the true cross - in a symbiotic way - at the back of the church/cinema/theatre etc. A special member of the congregation.
Beyond The Ordinary
A Rood (spelled with two o's) means The Cross or A Crucifix, specifically the large crucifix traditionally set above the entrance to the choir or chancel in a medieval church.
Key Details About A Rood.
Definition: It is an archaic word for a pole or rod, specifically referring to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified (often called the "True Cross" or "Holyrood").
Positioning: In churches, it was often placed on a "rood beam" or "rood screen" at the entrance to the chancel.
Usage: It is famously used in the Old English poem The Dream of the Rood.
Beyond The Ordinary
The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Danish: Den standhaftige tinsoldat) [The Tin Soldier or The Brave Soldier] is a famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1838. It was notably the first of his tales not based on a folk model or existing literary source.
Plot Summary.
• The One-Legged Soldier: A boy receives a set of 25 tin soldiers for his birthday. The last one has only one leg because there wasn't enough tin to complete him. Despite this, he stands just as firmly as his brothers.
• The Paper Ballerina: The soldier falls in love with a beautiful paper ballerina who stands in a cardboard castle. She has one leg raised so high in a dance pose that the soldier believes she also has only one leg and is a perfect match for him.
• The Goblin's Warning: A jealous goblin (often depicted as a jack-in-the-box) warns the soldier to stop staring at the ballerina, but the soldier ignores him.
• A Perilous Journey: The next day, the soldier falls out of a window—possibly pushed by the goblin. He is found by boys who put him in a paper boat and send him sailing down a gutter. He passes a rat demanding a toll before his boat sinks and he is swallowed by a fish.
• A Tragic Reunion: Remarkably, the fish is caught and bought by the very family the soldier belonged to. Reunited with his ballerina, his joy is short-lived when a boy inexplicably throws him into the stove. A sudden draft blows the paper ballerina into the fire with him.
• The Ending: The next morning, a servant clearing the ashes finds a small tin heart—all that remains of the soldier—and the ballerina's burnt tinsel spangle, black as coal.
• Steadfastness: The soldier’s defining trait is his stoic endurance. He refuses to call for help because he is in uniform and accepts every hardship without complaint.
• Unrequited/Silent Love: The story is often seen as autobiographical, reflecting Andersen's own feelings of social alienation and romantic inadequacy.
• Fate: Unlike many fairy tales, the characters have little agency; their destruction is brought about by blind chance and cruelty.
Adaptations.