Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for June 25, 2023

According to the Bible John the Baptist was born six months before Christmas so this weekend is when his feast day hits.

What? Before the vanities have been burned?

Does anyone celebrate their name day? That’s the feast day of the Saint after whom you were named. I believe mine is tomorrow (St. Scully).

Thank you Mr. Johnson, some very interesting information in the panels today.

I do enjoy Arlo’s trivial stories. More things to clutter my mind. Now I can hardly wait to share this with someone and show my deep knowledge of the English language and History.

Just learned about this:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Midsummer-holiday

As a kid I always figured midsummer was about July 15, since that was the middle of summer vacation from school. The real dates still don’t seem as appropriate. I guess it’s my personal midsummer, although I’m willing to share it.

Hence the play: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare

For an unusual movie about a midsummer festival, check out A24’s 2019 “Midsommar.” Weird movie, as most A24 movies are. One site refers to it as “a folk horror movie.”

By the time it’s dark enough for a summer bonfire, I’m asleep. Hate DST.

All I know is, as i sat on the back deck drinking my tea and watching the hummingbirds feast on the oriole feeder, I knew deep down in my heart we have begun the slow inexorable decline into shorter days ending ignominiously at a cold winters eve wondering if the snowblower will start on the morrow.

I feel like I’m missing something in the last panel.

Thank you Mr. Johnson. I won’t be having a bonfire tonight, though I love them, because I wouldn’t stay awake that long.

I’m a strong proponent of considering the Solstice (the longest day of the year) Midsummer and not the start. (similarly for Winter Solstice)

Loved this!

I’m still wondering why someone’s being murdered in panel 1.

There’s a fire ban in the Ottawa Valley. The smell of smoke is heavy today

Cliff Clavin is that you?

According to Wikipedia The Feast of St. John is on the 27th of December, not on June 24th.

Arlo and Janis are grandparents: but no grey hair!?

Try “MIdsommer Murders”

When I was a kid the Saint Jean (John) was a very fun feast, with a huge bonfire. The fun was to jump through the fire while people cheered. Sometimes they would light a much smaller fire for kids to jump through. I couldn’t wait to be old enough to jump through the big one. Then jumping through the fire was forbidden for safety reasons. And now bonfires are forbidden for fire safety reasons.

It’s great having a strip that teaches me something I didn’t know, instead of merely being funny.

More people should read this comic strip. They sure can learn a lot!!!

My neighbor burned some cut up trees that had fallen. Does that count as a bonfire?

Anyone cook over the fire (and I don’t mean barbecuing)? When we started doing reenacting I knew the how of cooking over a fire from the many 17th, 18th and 19th century places we had visited – but had never done so.

I did embroidery demonstrations at events – something I have done since I was 5 years old and am fairly good at. Then one day the unit had an event and we had been requested to have a cooking demonstration. None of the women who cooked at events were coming. They looked at me. I told them I knew the theory and could definitely demonstrate – but did not know if it would edible. I went with a stew I made at home and it went well. That started me being the unit cook for about 10 years until a fellow joined who wanted to do it. (But he just cooks – he does not talk about food and cooking in the period as I did and he should.)

I am back to stitching at events.

Christians took nearly every Roman holiday and plastered their religion onto it. Feast of Saturnalla became Christmas time, Saturnalla Day became Christmas Day (despite Christ being born in the spring), and so on.

Is Arlo speaking about the bonfire information? Or, is Jimmy just giving us information to contrast with what Arlo says.