Halcyon days describe a sense of nostalgia as we look back on better times with fondness. You’re right, spring is just around the corner, no matter how long that corner takes to turn. What's the origin of the phrase 'Halcyon days'? at Please include your initials and where you live, the grass is always greener (on the other side), The grass is always greener on the other side, the greater the truth, the greater the libel, the hand that rocks the cradle (rules the world), The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, the hearts and minds of (the members of some group), the hair is standing up on the back on her neck, the hair is standing up on the back on his neck, the hair is standing up on the back on my neck, the hair is standing up on the back on one's neck, the hair is standing up on the back on our neck, the hair is standing up on the back on our necks, the hair is standing up on the back on somebody's neck, the hair is standing up on the back on someone's neck, the hair is standing up on the back on their neck, the hair is standing up on the back on their necks, the hair is standing up on the back on your neck. It was believed that these birds built their nests on the sea during the seven days before the shortest day of the year and then sat on their eggs for the next … at Ah, those were the halcyon days, before our country was at war. Period of calm during the winter, when storms do not occur. at You are very stoic, Brian. Can’t catch a break at…, Wow, some heavy reading you have been doing. Hi Stefanie

These became known as the \"halcyon days,\" when storms do not occur. Lynn and I recently took in a movie at the good ole Ridgeway Four. By the 16th century the phrase 'halcyon days' had lost its association with the nesting time of the bird and had taken on the figurative meaning of 'calm days'. Apologies on behalf of my blog. email: pj.letters@ajl.co.uk All letters are subject to editing and must include your full address and daytime telephone number for verification. August 7, 2019 by Bill McCormick. By this time, it meant a tranquil period, and most people did not associate it with the bird specifically… Gorgeous! Learn more. Great to have found your site. Aeolus restrained his winds and kept them calm during seven days in each year, so she could lay her eggs. And she quickly left the room for fear of catching contagious contempt. It’s a part of my life that’s gone, but which I still take pride in. at Privacy Policy. Anyway, I know I won’t get any sympathy from those of you in more northern climes, so I’ll press on…. But I like to think we're on a dilapidated Reno-bound charter bus that breaks down so often we sometimes forget where we going. 6:40 pm, 1 February 2014 To compensate for the loss, we tend to add the cheesy term “of yore” to the end of it. And the best we can hope for is that the quality of the shoes improves as time passes. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/the+halcyon+days. The picture you have posted looks so beautiful. The popular English playwright William Shakespeare popularized this term in the late 1500s when he used it in Henry VI, Part 1. It doesn’t seem fair, somehow, Alice – of all the places that need respite in midwinter, England surely deserves a look-in? You don’t get them here in England, I would even settle for cold but wind and rain free days. The ancients believed that the bird made a floating nest in the Aegean Sea and had the power to calm the waves while brooding her eggs. I experienced again the sense of peace and lightness that I associated with the halcyon days at La Chorrera. When Alcyone made her nest on the beach, waves threatened to destroy it. No such luck for us here in Blighty, I’m sorry to say. Glad to hear you’ve had a little respite from the elements, Andrew, albeit a short one. The story goes that Aeolus, the ruler of the winds, had a daughter named Alcyone, who was married to Ceyx, the king of Thessaly. 3:49 pm, 2 February 2014 These became known as the "halcyon days," when storms do not occur. Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Then for the teeming quietest, happiest days of all! Those Halcyon Days of Yore. By continuing, you agree to our My quiet apprehension in the face of achievement might be based on a childhood incident. Halcyon definition is - characterized by happiness, great success, and prosperity : golden —often used to describe an idyllic time in the past that is remembered as better than today. Thank you, Dates set for Goodwood Festivals; DRIVELINES, Leader's Advisor Lauds Iran's Key Role in Preserving Islamic Culture, VENT YOUR SPLEEN; Call us on 0191 201 6170 and tell us what makes you angry. What's the meaning of the phrase 'Halcyon days'? "Ah, yes," I said with mock nostalgia. Jean Cocteau, in a particularly peppy mood, said, "We're all on a locomotive racing toward death.".

Looks like my smileys are working, so not sure what happened to yours. The term “halcyon days” was used by sailors to describe the unusual spell of calm weather, and eventually passed into modern English usage with its connotations of kingfishers and calm seas completely lost, and only the general nostalgia remaining. People tell me it happens every year around this time, and they call it the “halcyon days”. As John Laroquette points out. The ancients believed that the bird made a floating nest in the Aegean Sea and had the power to calm the waves while brooding her eggs. The Halcyon days are generally regarded as beginning on the 14th or 15th of December. Those few days of good weather are the halcyon days I just experienced. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (PG-13) tells the story of an American screenwriter’s visit to Paris with his fussy fiancée and her parents. Hmmm – That question mark at the end of my comment above was typed in as a smiley face. "You see life through jaundice-col ored glasses.". The term halcyon days was coined by the Greeks. So happy to discover that!

The Halcyon is a bird of Greek legend and the name is now commonly given to the European Kingfisher. It was nice to uncover this story, and I’m glad you enjoyed it .

10:21 am, 1 February 2014 The National Weather Service extended the length of a red flag warning for critical wildfire... Glass Fire rages as winds kick up: 'More evacuations possible'. Yes, that’s our view. Meaning of days of yore.

6:03 pm, 6 February 2014 Yore definition is - time past and especially long past —usually used in the phrase of yore. What a wonderful post, I lived in Crete when I was younger and remember those days so well, but the winter can still come back to bite you… Still your post did make me think of those days as I sit doing final edits in a washed out Kent in the UK. A calm and peaceful period of time. The original story of the halcyon days comes from Greek mythology. Magical – just as the is the myth.