Thomasing on the Longest Night (Advent Day 22)

Thomasing on the Longest Night (Advent Day 22)

Author: Kate Bowler
Source: Kate Bowler, Substack
Link: https://katebowler.substack.com/p/advent-day-22-thomasing-on-the-longest
Advent placement: 2025-12-22 (paired with [[22-peerless-small-batch-kentucky-straight-bourbon-whiskey]])

Theme: St. Thomas’s Day and the old custom of ‘Thomasing’ - no one left cold or hungry on the longest night.

---

Verbatim source text

Reproduced from calendar/2025-12-22.qmd (Whisk(e)y Advent 2025).

Thomasing on the Longest Night

By Kate Bowler, from Substack. Enjoy the full reflection at the link.

There is a fabulous tradition that is celebrated today, December 21, about the embodiment of love. It was once known across Europe as St. Thomas’s Day. In England, it was the day of Thomasing—when the poor, especially widows, went door-to-door asking for food, firewood, or coins. Neighbors gave gladly, because it was understood: on the longest night of the year, no one should be left cold or hungry.