It seems dear reader, that Old Man Frost is on his way, and while there is no snow yet, a cold wind has blown down from the north filling me with excitement. In a few weeks I will be going back home for Wysolice, and oh, I can’t wait! Yesterday in the village, the whole market seemed a bustle with cheer. Mrs. Hume and I chatted about the holiday and all our hopes for the season. She and her husband are planning a celebration with their son and his wife, along with maybe a few other friends from the village. She wished me a safe trip back home and told me to give Auntie Ember a big hug for her, which of course I promised to do, as they have been friends since they were girls. Before leaving the market, I bought some red ribbon from the Milliner. Even though I will not be in Greenwood for much longer, I still want to decorate my cottage.
The Feast of Wysolice is such a lovely celebration, and one that is probably as old as the kingdom of Olkaria itself! Oh, but perhaps you don’t know much about this tradition. Well, the myth goes that throughout the year, all the flowers and trees are brought to life by the Green Sister. She awakens in the spring, making the plants grow, the flowers bloom, and the crops ripen. Then in winter, she lays down under the earth to sleep and dream. That is when Old Man Frost, or Lord Frost as some call him, comes down from the mountains. He spreads a white blanket of snow over the land and watches over the Green Sister as she slumbers. While all else is icy and bare, the evergreens live on, a lasting gift left for the people and Old Man Frost to enjoy.
So at Wysolice, we decorate with the evergreen boughs and we feast, feast in thanks to the Green Sister for the year’s harvest and bounty, and in honor of Lord Frost with the hopes that our merriment will bring him cheer, as the winter months can be harsh. The celebrations last for twelve days, one day for each month of the new year. And on the final day, it’s traditional to stay up all night, playing games and telling stories, until the first light of New Year’s Day. Oh, that first sunrise always seems so beautiful. Anyway, that’s when we blow out the Long Night Lantern and eat a hearty breakfast of pancakes before everyone goes to sleep for the rest of the day. The winter can be long and dark with the ice and the cold, but Wysolice is a time of joy to carry us through the rest of the snowy weather.
I know I’ve only been away for a few months, but it seems like so long since I’ve seen Auntie Ember, or my sister Lettie and her husband. I really didn’t get to spend much time with her before moving to Greenwood, and she and Peter were so busy after their wedding. But oh goodness, now it won’t be long ‘til we are all together again! Dear reader, however you celebrate this season, I wish you all joy and a happy new year!