St. Distaff’s Day is traditionally held in January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany, one of many unoffical holidays in Catholic nations. The distaff used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women’s work. The day, which was also known as Roc Day (referring to another name for either the distaff or the spindle) indicated that this was the end of the Christmas festivities and the return to the normality of spinning whenever there was a spare moment. Women of all classes would spend their evenings spinning on the wheel. During the day, they would carry a drop spindle with them. Spinning was the only means of turning raw wool, cotton or flax into thread, which could then be woven into cloth. Men have their own way of celebrating this occasion; this is done through Plough Monday. It is the first Monday after Epiphany where men are supposed to get back to work.
Our annual St Distaff’s Day celebration is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, from 10:30-2:30 at the Page Farm and Home Museum. Bring whatever spinning, knitting, weaving, quilting, felting, hooking, braiding, origami, or other project you’re working on, a mug for tea or cocoa (we’ll have the hot water urn set up) and, if you like, a treat to share. For those new to the group, or who just need a memory jog, St Distaff’s Day (also known as Roc Day) is a centuries-old custom named for the distaff or roc, a tool that holds fiber prepared for spinning. It took place on the first day after Epiphany, the end of the liturgical Christmas season. On this day, with all the holiday cooking and cleaning hullaballoo finally behind them, women went back to their normal everyday household tasks, which included spinning wool and flax. Men didn’t have to get back to work until the first Monday after Epiphany. Apparently, many of them used their extra days off playing pranks on the busy women, with such stunts as lighting their fiber on fire. No pranks like that for our celebration: just fiber & textile fun, laughter, and good conversation.