The ancient Greeks had many holy days.  One I have picked up, although I am not a hard-core Hellenic reconstructionist in my religious life is Nekysia.  This holiday falls in late summer or early fall and is somewhat their version of Memorial Day.  The anicient Greek calendar was a lunar calendar and began every month on the New Moon, so each of the twelve normal months might have 29 or 30 days and the leftover days to make the solar year match up were tossed into a very short end-of-the-year month.

So, it was with considerable surprise as I wrapped my mind around this complex version of time keeping to figure out when Nekysia falls this year.  Surprise!  It is in August.  My plan this year, besides the usual cleaning of the monument and addition of more counting beads at need, was to read the entire list of names of U.S. and Coalition dead for both Iraq and Afghanistan out at the Labyrinth altar.  The last time I read my entire list was 2005; there are more than twice as many names now.

Since late summer weather can be unpredictable, I never take my carefully tabulated books outside.  So I am copying the names.  One slip of paper per name.  Each slip will be read and dropped into a brazier of coals  and fragrant woods beside me.  But first, I must write them all down.  I began last night.  Each stack of paper on the table you see is 500 sheets high.  Hail to the honored dead!

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