November 30, 2007

Today is the feast day for St. Andrew, patron of fishers and fishmongers (also singers, sore throats and spinsters, according to the Catholics!) Andrew was what is known today as an early adopter — he was the first disciple of Jesus. He's also the patron saint of Russia and Scotland; Scotland's flag bears the saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross. His feast day is truly that in Scotland — reason for a feast. Indeed, now there are Scots campaigning to make St. Andrew's Day a national holiday.

Read more about St. Andrew at Wikipedia and at School of the Seasons.

Read the Candlegrove interview with School of the Seasons' Waverly Fitzgerald.

Tips for the day

In honor of St. Andrew's day, if you eat seafood, today's a great day to think about what you can do to support sustainable fishing. Some species are dangerously depleted. Other forms of fish-farming are done in ways that can harm the environment.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has great advice and an excellent guide to responsible seafood buying. You can even download a version for your cell phone — useful when eating out!

Environmental Defense has a similar list.

More winter music

Over the years, I've become increasingly picky about holiday music. I get so sick of traditional Christmas carols, which seem to be everywhere, yet I want to listen to music that evokes the season. My taste leans toward the ancient, some new-agey, some Celtic, all non-cliche. Here are a few picks:

Ancient Noels, by Ensemble Galilei, has a lovely medieval feel.

Paul Winter has several unique seasonal recordings, many drawn from his annual Winter Solstice performances the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Check out: Silver Solstice, Wintersong, or Solstice Live!

On Yoolis Night. Four angelic women's voices, alone, sing medieval carols and motets. Positively angelic.

Jaiya Firedance folk with a Celtic flavor, well-chosen pieces for the season. Check out their solstice e-card too!

There are also the two series by Windham Hill: A Winter's Solstice and Celtic Christmas. Some of these are more traditional than others, so shop carefully.

Check our archived page for music from The Revels. Or tell me about your favorite holiday music picks in feedback.

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