Happy Boxing Day*.
Amongst the reading I've enjoyed on this beautifully sunny and indolent day is this City Pages article on how cruel winter used to be before gas heating and polypropelene and other wonders of our age. In many ways a catalog of the cruel, painful ways you could die in the 19th century winter, it still left me interested in reading more about the topic ...
*Boxing Day is the day after Christmas. At least in Canada, Australia, NZ and Britain it was traditionally the day you left a gift out for the milkman (does anyone still get home milk delivery?), the mailman, and the rubbish man (=trash collector). Or, since it has now become a holiday itself when you don't get those services, you leave the gift out on the 27th.
Posted by robe0419 at December 26, 2004 4:01 PM