Historically, at Midwinter, fires were kindled to encourage the return of the sun. At Midsummer, similar fires celebrated the sun’s attainment of its greatest strength. Lighting fires at these sacred times was a hugely significant act, because it was believed that even the tiny light of a human…

My favorite holiday is, and always has been, Patriots’ Day. Growing up in the Boston area, and more specifically in Lexington, there were always a certain number of people in period costumes wandering around, shepherding tourists, leading class tours, or just looking picturesque. But starting in early April, the…

Of all the divisions of the year, this is the one that is the least flashy – no hot sun and burgeoning vegetation, no blazing shades of Autumn color on the  trees, no Christmas carols or groaning boards – just an impudent crocus pushing up through the snow….

Over the past month, I’ve had a brief taste of the life of an itinerant musician, and it’s been an eye-opener. Seven cities, no more than six nights in the same bed, five styles of dancing, four modes of transportation, three pairs of trousers, two close encounters with…