This cache has been archived.

fatfuzz: I've come to the realization that it is time to archive these caches. My original intent was to place a series of winter friendly caches for people to be able to enjoy around christmas. Hopefully by bringing along a non cacher and introduce them to caching. And I think that for winter caches they worked well. However, once the snow melted away, the river had other ideas. I have made several trips to these caches this spring and summer and each time at least some of the cache sites were under water.

Today I tried again and after I had replaced the first cache I realized that once again I couldn't get to some of the sites and that my intention for this series wasn't going to be realized even if I replaced all of the caches. Because even replacing them would not give a new cacher a pleasant experience with the way that the area currently is.

So I will be archiving these caches. Perhaps someone else will have another idea for caches in the area, but at least for what I had in mind for this series, I'm afraid that it no longer works. I'm sorry for those of you who wanted to complete the series and will no longer be able to. But I think that it is for the best.

Happy and safe caching.

GC4VPQZ ▼

A cache by fatfuzz Message this owner

Hidden : 12/22/2013

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

The Fourth Day of Christmas.

This is the fourth of a series of 12 winter friendly, beginner caches. Most of the caches have tradeable swag but you will need to bring a pen or pencil to sign the log for each cache.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents

The Fourth Day of Christmas is to commemorate the Massacre of the Innocents. The Massacre of the Innocents is the biblical narrative of infanticide by Herod the Great, the Roman appointed King of the Jews. According to the Gospel of Matthew Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the "Vicinity of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. In typical Matthean style it is understood as the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy: "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more."

The commemoration of the massacre of these "Holy Innocents"—considered by some Christians as the first martyrs for Christ—first appears as a feast of the western church in the Leonine Sacramentary, dating from about 485. The earliest commemorations were connected with the Feast of the Epiphany, 6 January: Prudentius mentions the Innocents in his hymn on the Epiphany. Leo in his homilies on the Epiphany speaks of the Innocents. Fulgentius of Ruspe (6th century) gives a homily De Epiphania, deque Innocentum nece et muneribus magorum ("On Epiphany, and on the murder of the Innocents and the gifts of the Magi").

Today, the date of Holy Innocents' Day, also called The Innocents' Day or Childermas or Children's Mass, varies. The twenty-seventh of December is the date for West Syrians (Syriac Orthodox Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and Maronite Church) and East Syrians (Chaldeans and Syro-Malabar Catholic Church). Twenty-eighth December is the date in the Church of England, the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church (in which, except on Sunday, violet vestments were worn before 1961, instead of red, the normal liturgical colour for celebrating martyrs).^{[citation needed]} The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the feast on 29 December.