On the second Christmas that the Pilgrims spent in Plymouth (the first had been spent cutting down trees and building houses), the governor of the colony, William Bradford, gathered the men together so that they could all go do the Lord’s work (which was probably cutting down trees and building houses). Some of the colonists were newly arrived, and hadn’t come for religious reasons, but more for finding wealth and opportunity in the New World. This portion of the men did not think that Christmas didn’t exist and should not be recognized. They thought it did exist and they should get to have celebratory fun. So they talked Bradford into letting them go, and they went back and played games in the street. Bradford was surprised when he found them, since he thought they were praying and meditating in their homes about whether or not Christmas actually existed, and when they had prayed and meditated enough, they would figure out that it didn’t, and then they would come help out with the Lord’s work. Which was not, at all, in any way, playing games in the street. Anne gets to talk about Christmas and Colonial America, and Michelle found a rabbit hole that was so seductive she didn’t read anything about William Bradford and the Naughty Boys, because she had to learn all about John Taylor, Water Poet, who had a lot to say about the dreadfulness of banning Christmas and, we’ve decided, is the protagonist of Michelle’s next historical novel. Happy Holidays!
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I am not sure how to get back to comment directly on episode 27 about Arche the Miller and Medieval Ghosts. It was mentioned that the person to whom the ghost appeared was not to mention it for three days following the appearance. One of you asked if the other knew the significance of three days but neither of you knew. I cannot claim to be an expert much but I had a thought. I am wondering if the reason had something to do with the three days between the death of Jesus and his ressurrection. It makes sense (to me anyway) that, in light of their ideas about ghosts appearing as people similarly to how Jesus appeared to the apostles, then the rules of “death” might also be similar.