Ebony day

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The term Ebenweihtag is a name that was used in the Middle Ages and until the 19th century in the Alpine region for the eighth day (the octave day ) after Christmas . Other forms of this name are Ebenweichtag , Ebenwihetag , Ebwichtag , Ewigtag , Ewitag , Embeichtag , Ebenweinachttag , in dialect also oewichtag, oewichentag . The previous evening, i.e. New Year's Eve of the old year, can be found in the sources accordingly as Ebenwichabent , Ewigabend , Ebenweihnachtabent and dialect as oeuwen aubent . The feast of the circumcision of the Lord (Latin: Festum circumcisionis ) used to be celebrated on the eve of consecration . Counting as the eighth day is based on the Roman method of counting, in which the day of the respective event (here Christmas day, December 25th) is counted for the calculation of a period.

Eve Christmas also coincides with January 1st ( New Year ). The beginning of the year was set on January 1st, however, only in 1691 under Pope Innocent XII. For dates from the time before, it should be noted that January 1st was not generally the beginning of the year. There were also calendars showing New Year's Day on other days, e.g. B. on Christmas Day, March 1st or Easter. In these counts, the Eve consecration day therefore has the year of the previous Christmas.

The etymology of the festival name is still largely in the dark. In the Bavarian Dictionary of 1837 it is considered that the shorter form ê-wîhe could be the older and, based on Middle High German ê “Law, Law, Marriage”, assigned a meaning “Consecration of law and religion through the circumcision ceremony”. According to others, the Ebony consecration day is “just as (highly) consecrated” as Christmas day, the birth festival of Jesus Christ. The word just may have "equal", the importance of.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Kronprinzenwerk : The Austro-Hungarian monarchy in words and pictures. Upper Austria and Salzburg. Vienna 1889, p. 440
  2. ^ Manuscripta Mediaevalia , Glossary, sv "Ebenweichtag" , sv "Ewigtag" .
  3. ↑ On the use of January 1st as the day of the turn of the year: Hermann Grotefend : Zeitrechnung des Deutschen Mittelalter und der Neuzeit . Glossary, keyword "circumcision style".
  4. ↑ Johann Andreas Schmeller : Bavarian Dictionary: Collection of words and expressions that occur in the living dialects as well as in the older and oldest provincial literature of the Kingdom of Bavaria, especially in its older lands, and in today's general German written language either not at all, or not customary in the same meanings, with documentary evidence, according to the stem syllables etymologically-alphabetically arranged. First edition. Stuttgart and Tübingen 1837, fourth part, p. 51 in the Google book search, s. .v “weih” (second edition: first volume, col. 15, and second volume, col. 882).
  5. ^ Ludwig Julius Friedrich Höpfner: German Encyclopedia or General Real Dictionary of All Arts and Sciences. Volume 4. P. 792 in Google Book Search.
  6. ↑ Lemma “just”. In: Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm : German Dictionary , Volume 3. Leipzig, Hirzel 1862. Col. 8, point 5.