Advent's End

It's almost Filiadi!

Advent has drawn to a close now that Nativity is upon us. Nativity begins officially at dawn tomorrow (days in the Filianic calendar start at dawn) and then we continue on into the Twelve Days after: a time of extended festivity and fortunetelling. We lay aside the disciplines we began at the start of Advent, and enjoy the glow of Nativity!

While traditional Madrian practice would have someone from the household stay on vigil all night, sat beside the fifth candle of the Advent wreath, pre-Christian practice is what started the notion of setting out food and drink before hiding safely away for the night. Household spirits, whether they be place spirits who belonged to the house or land the house was built on or if they were ancestors come to visit, were not meant to be seen. Bad luck was believed to fall on those who saw the nightly visitors when they came in to sit by the fire. Staying in your bed while spirits ate and drank and gave good fortune to the house for its hospitality informed the beliefs around Santa Claus and the Deanic festival of the Star Maiden.

Today we leave milk and cookies for a nighttime visitor who comes in through the chimney, whether that be Santa or the Star Fairy, though this wasn't always the case. A path was cleared from the main door to the stove or fireplace, swept and dusted, and seats were left by the warm fire or oven. An offering of food and drink is left out for them to enjoy, with possibly a small lamp set beside it on a scrubbed-clean table. These traditions held for a long time -- Irish tradition until fairly modern times, for instance, simply added a Christian layer by saying these offerings were for Joseph and Mary 'and other travellers' who might need shelter overnight. Tellingly, the door was left unlatched for them to come in, and a candle lit in the window to guide visitors inside.

 

Modern Filianic ways of celebrating are much the same as secular Christmas traditions; vigils are rarely kept unless by personal calling to do so. Feel free to celebrate Filiadi in your fashion or add in some older traditions!

However you celebrate, I wish you a blessed night and a very happy holiday!

A Note on Names

There are several names for this holiday and the surrounding days/nights. I always seem to forget one or two, so here is a 'master list' of sorts!

• Adoria -- from the word 'adore'; used instead of Christmas or Nativity to mean Adoration of the newly arrived Daughter. Adoria Eve may be used to refer to Dec 24.
  
• Daughter's Day -- coined specifically for this holiday as it is a day celebrating the Daughter's birth
• Daughter's Days -- an alternate name for the Twelve Days of Christmas, beginning the day after Nativity/Dec 25 and continuing until Princess Day (Epiphany)/Jan 6
  
• Feast of the Star Maiden -- mentioned by a Janite blogpost as celebrated by Deanic believers rather than Filianis; this may be a replacement for Nativity as Deanism is intended to be worship solely of the Mother. Essentially the same as secular Christmas, where the Star Maiden/Star Fairy visits houses instead of Santa Claus to leave gifts for good children and bless households; no birth is celebrated.
  
• Filiadi -- originally 'Daughter's Day', this was translated into Latin around 2016 using filia (daughter) and the abbreviated form of 'day' (di) seen still in names of weekdays in French and Italian (Lundi/Lunedi, Mardi/Martedi, etc.). Said "feel-ee-ah-dee". Filiadi Eve refers to Dec 24.
  
• Filiadies -- originally 'Daughter's Days' as an alternative to the Twelve Days of Christmas; translated into Latin along with Filiadi from the same components. Said "feel-ee-ah-dee-ess." (Latin pronounces the letter I as a long 'ee', and E as an 'eh' sound.)
  
• Mother's Night -- from the Pagan observance of Mothers' Night in honour of the mothers of the community who had passed on; the Janites made it singular in honour of the Mother God of all (see this post). Attached to Nativity Eve as the Mother gives birth to Her Daughter during that night.
  
• Nativity -- literally 'birth'; used instead of Christmas from early on in Filianic circles as it bears no direct reference to Jesus the way 'Christmas' does. Nativity Eve is also used to refer to Dec 24.
  
• Yule -- not as common as others on this list, Yule does make its appearance occasionally. It appears in Madrian writings as an alternative to Nativity; after newer terms specific to Filianism were coined, Yule has been less used.