…that’s what they call it around here, since the New Year already happened in September, natch.
It seems that the Israelis got the name from the Germans–it comes from the 4th c. pope (Silvester I) who knew Constantine–though evidently the story that he baptized the king is not believed to be true–and was represented at the First Council of Nicaea. He died on (and thus his feast day is) December 31. Anybody who knows more about it that that is welcome to enlighten me in the comments.
Anyway, it’s going to be a quiet one over here. I was invited to a party by friends, but have had just enough of a bad cold the last week or so to know that staying out late (and this thing is called to start around the time I’d be ready to go home already) is not the cleverest thing I could do. And frankly, at my advanced age, the idea of staying in and drinking tea sounds just as good.