St. Thomas's Day definition of St. Thomas's Day in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

St. Thomas's Day

December 21 by Malabar Christians and Anglicans; July 3 by Roman Catholics; October 6 in the East

St. Thomas the Apostle was dubbed "Doubting Thomas" because, after the Resurrection, the other Apostles told him that they had seen Jesus, and he wouldn't believe them until he had touched Jesus' wounds himself. When the Apostles left Jerusalem to preach to the people of other nations, as Jesus had instructed them to do, tradition says Thomas traveled eastward toward India. In Kerala, the smallest state in India, the Malabar Christians (or Christians of St. Thomas) claim St. Thomas as the founder of their church. For them his feast day is a major celebration. Thomas is the patron saint of India and Pakistan.
In December Mayan Indians in Chichicastenago, Guatemala, honor the sun god they worshipped long before they became Christians with a dangerous ritual known as the palo voladore, or "flying pole dance." Three men climb to the top of a 50-foot pole. As one of them beats a drum and plays a flute, the other two wind a long rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believed that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer—a safe bet in view of the fact that St. Thomas's Day coincides with the Winter Solstice.

CONTACTS:
Catholic Archbishop's House Trichur
East Fort
Thrissur, Kerala 680 005 India
91-487-2333325; fax: 91-487-2338204
www.archdioceseoftrichur.com
Guatemala Tourist Commission
7th Avenue 1-17 Zone 4, Civic Ctr.
Guatemala City, Guatemala
502-331-3333; fax: 502-331-8893
www.guatemala.travel.com.gt

SOURCES:
BkDays-1864, vol. II, p. 723
BkFest-1937, p. 246
BkHolWrld-1986, Dec 21
DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 317
EncyChristmas-2003, pp. 225, 692
FestSaintDays-1915, p. 224
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 708
OxYear-1999, pp. 279, 506

Mentioned in	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found			St. Petersburg Treaty of 1881 St. Pierre St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Placidus Festival St. Polycarp's Day St. Privat-Gravelotte St. Quentin St. Quentin Canal St. Rocco's Celebration St. Roch's Day St. Rose of Lima's Day St. Sarkis's Day St. Sava's Day St. Sebastian's Day St. Sergius Trinity Monastery St. Sophia St. Sophia Chronicle St. Sophia, House of St. Spyridon Day St. Stephen's Day St. Swithin's Day St. Sylvester's Day St. Tammany's Day St. Teresa's Day St. Theodore Stratilates on the Brook, Church of St. Thomas's Day St. Thorlak's Day St. Tryphon's Day St. Urho's Day St. Vaclav's Day St. Valentine's Day St. Valentine's Day Massacre St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines Independence and Thanksgiving Day St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Heroes Day St. Vincent's Day St. Vincent, Gulf of St. Vincent, John Jervis, earl of St. Vitus Dance St. Vitus's dance St. Vitus's Day St.-Germain, Treaty of 1919 St.-Germain-en-Laye, Treaty of 1679 St.-John's-bread St.-John's-wort St.-Johns-Wort ST412 ST506 ST506 RLL STA Stašek Antal			St. Thomas Aquino St. Thomas Aquino St. Thomas Becket St. Thomas College St. Thomas College St. Thomas Disc Sports Club St. Thomas Elgin Tourist Association St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India St. Thomas Field Naturalists Club St. Thomas Hall St. Thomas Jumbo Jets St. Thomas Medical Group St. Thomas Moore St. Thomas Moore St. Thomas More St. Thomas More St. Thomas More Academy St. Thomas More College St. Thomas More Group St. Thomas More School St. Thomas of Aquin St. Thomas of Aquin St. Thomas of Aquino St. Thomas of Aquino St. Thomas of Canterbury St. Thomas Primary School St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital St. Thomas University St. Thomas University Students' Union St. Thomas Yacht Club St. Thomas's Day St. Thorlak's Day St. Tib St. Tib's day St. Timothy St. Timothy St. Tropez St. Tropez St. Tryphon's Day St. Urho's Day St. Vaclav's Day St. Valentine's St. Valentine's St. Valentine's day St. Valentine's day St. Valentine's Day Massacre St. Valentines St. Valentines St. Valentines Day St. Valentines Day St. Vincent St. Vincent St. Vincent & Grenadines St. Vincent & Grenadines St. Vincent & the Grenadines St. Vincent & the Grenadines St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Inc.