What is a “distaff,” you ask? I had no idea, but there it is. January 7: Distaff Day.
Also called Roc Day, Rock Day, or Saint Distaff’s Day, January 7 marks the day after the Feast of the Epiphany, also the day after the 12 days of Christmas, when women would return to work. (Insert eyeroll emoji here.) Distaff Day goes along with Plough Monday, when men would return to work. These two holidays, together, were an excuse for men and women to play pranks on each other, which I am all for. However, it seems that Distaff Day, like the word “distaff” itself, belongs in the distance past, and there I shall leave it.