With the 12 days of Christmas at an end, this 13th day of the season originally marked women’s return to their housework, i.e. to “pick up their spindles.” This British tradition originated at a time when spinning was the major chore of women, a distaff held the unspun wool.

And the men? They would return to work on Plough Monday, which was the first Monday after the 12 days of Christmas

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Although the day is known as St. Distaff’s Day, there was no St. Distaff.

Today is Orthodox Chrsitmas.