Saint DistaffToday, 7th January, is Saint Distaff Day. You may never have heard of her, and to be honest, she never existed. But she has been adopted as the patron saint of the TRC, so - Happy Saint Distaff Day to you all.
St. Distaff is a medieval English joke. We discovered her when preparing an exhibition on handspinning in 2011. The 7th of January was an unofficial medieval celebration. It observed the day that women went back to household work after twelve days of celebrating Christmas. It was the day that women could make jokes at the expense of men. The men themselves returned to work on the Monday (sometimes called Plough Monday) immediately following St. Distaff day.
A distaff is an ancient tool used by spinners to support extra fibres (usually flax or wool) while at work. So it is an appropriate 'female' tool for a 'saint' to be named after.
Shelley Anderson, Sunday 7th January 2018.
