Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Lady Day

Today is Lady Day whence back in the day this was the New Year Day by the reckoning of certain Western European cultures.
Lady Day celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation because it is exactly nine months before Christmas. Of course, this reckoning is wrought with all sorts of flaws -- like Jesus was born in July -- so maybe that's why the tradition changed. Of course, this day celebrated the Lady long before Jesus camped in the desert. (The Annunciation painted by Henry Tanner.)


Lady Day also refers to Billie Holiday. Possibly the name was given to her by Lester Young. Lady Day sounds like all the joys and sorrows and weariness and loneliness and bliss of all the women who ever heard they were with child.


Them that's got shall get
Them that's not shall lose
So the Bible said and it still is news
Mama may have, papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own


Listen to God Bless the Child

4 comments:

changapeluda said...

one of my hoity toity aunt's had a phonogragh, cherry wood antique that got left out (ruined) in a carport of one of her Vegas bound ex-husbands. It played thick record albums and Billie Holiday was one of her favourites of those maroon labeled extra cracklies.

i always thought of Billie as a Latina because she's the same color as my aunt who's just a little darker than me.

i learned way too young about Lady Day being addicted to heroin, i think i was twelve when i read how she sold herself, which makes it all the sadder and tormented because i love her like she's a part of my family.

La Sirena said...

Man, Billie is so crazy/beautiful/sad it hurts to look and listen to her -- and yet you have to look and listen.

You have a whole lotta tias. Just sayin', it's cool.

changapeluda said...

my nana, my mom's mom - she gave BIRTH
12 times and ten of them are still alive today!

also there's a murky familia
rumour that this same hoity toity tia of mine was a Twin....

oh my nana's poor poomba....


oh no! i swear to God the word verifcation is
butwhod
and that's not very nice!!

La Sirena said...

Your poor nana! I can't help but crack up at your wording, though... tee-hee