International Day for the Fashionably Late

Pamela and I are both fans of the National Day Calendar, which often leads us to pursue fun activities or special meals. Just yesterday, for example, was National Whipped Cream Day, which we honored with a simple after-dinner hot cocoa and of course hand-whipped cream. Regular readers of our Nueva Receta blog will find many more examples by searching national day or clicking the celebrations tag.

Little did we expect to create our own such day, but this year about midway through the Twelve Days of Christmas I had, as it were, an epiphany. Who has gotten more positive attention for arriving fashionably late than the famous Three Kings who followed the star to Bethlehem. 

When looking for an image to launch the observance on Facebook, I found this Byzantine mosaic, made about 565 years after the event. As Wikipedia notes, representations in this era "usually depicts the Magi in Persian clothing which includes breeches, capes and Phrygian caps." These are certainly fashionable!

How to observe the day? One could hold a soirée with a soft start time, or one could extend forbearance to anybody arriving a bit late to school, work, or appointments on this day. And as Pamela notes, if you are the one arriving late, you should be bearing gifts.

Note: Unlike the magi -- who had a decent excuse -- I am more likely to be late, the closer an event is to my house.

Lagniappe

Growing up as a Southern Baptist, I never thought much about the Twelve Days as an actual celebration until I started spending time somewhere in Latin America in early January of most years. Beginning with Cuba in 2003 and continuing in Nicaragua or Costa Rica most years since then, I noticed decorations in public places, gatherings at cathedrals, and little kids who were shocked to see me, because they thought I was Santa walking around in the day time.