December 19th celebrations

I know I have been severely laxed in posting the daily celebrations as promised...but i really have been busy. I am very sorry for being so lacking.

That said, today is December 19 and Today is the Festival of Opalia, celebrated to honor Ops, the Roman Goddess of Grain and Agriculture. Since the growth of wheat is attributed to her, this is an excellent day to work on your holiday baking. Another idea might be to have a  bread baking ritual. Bless the bread by chanting something like this:

Good Goddess Ops, of wheat and grain
We thank You for the knowledge gained
To grow the wheat that made this bread
The golden grain that keeps us fed

Than ask each person to tear their slice in half. Each person must eat one half while saying:

As bread is made of golden grain
The Sun shall grow in strength again

The other half should then be torn to shreds and placed on a central platter to be scattered outside for birds and other small animals. During the scattering, say something like:

We give you back unto the Earth
With joy and laughter, love and mirth
We do this now in Op's great name
To honor Her-- hear our refrain!

Today also marks Pongol, the Hindu solstice celebration in honor of the Sun Goddess, Sankrat.

Yule Trivia and fun fact for today-
Donder ( not Donner), which means thunder, was the original name of the reindeer who helped pull Santa's sleigh on Christmas eve. He was paired with Blitzen, whose name means lightning.