Eye - 3 January 2023

2 Feb 2023 | by Elinor Smallman

From Naming of days to A celebration!

Emma is pictured above in a recent street performance: ‘This was promoting growing and harvesting our own food – even if all we might have is a window box.' | Photo: courtesy of Emma Salt

Naming of days

Eye is always keen to learn, and one reader has shared further subtleties about a recent story.
Barry Williamson, of Chorley Meeting, writes: ‘Eye 20th of the 1st month 2023 refers to the Quaker practice of eschewing naming after pagan gods days of the week.

‘George Fox, however, claims a scriptural authority for so naming of the days. In his Epistles (XLVIII, Works 7:63) he writes: “And, my dear brethren in the covenant of life, keep to yea and nay, and (call the days,) First-day, Second-day, Third-day, Fourth-day, Fifth-Day, Sixth-day, and Seventh-day, as they were given forth, and called by God in the beginning.”

‘It is true though that early Friends did reject naming months of the year after pagan gods, preferring first-month, second-month and so on.’

Thank you Barry, for shedding further light!

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