The Curse of the Sea Rats is an upcoming video game being developed by independent studio Petoons Studio. It is a 2D action-adventure game that takes place in a pirate-themed world. The game features hand-drawn artwork and an original soundtrack composed by a renowned music composer. The release date for The Curse of the Sea Rats has not been officially announced yet. However, the developers have mentioned that the game is currently in development and is expected to be released in the near future. Fans and gamers are eagerly awaiting the release of the game, as it promises a unique and immersive gaming experience.

The pagan roots of Hogmanay: Scotland's New Year celebrations

Everyone knows the Scots love a New Year celebration. They love it so much they even have a special name for it – Hogmanay. Up and down the country parties spill onto the streets, fireworks explode whilst strangers and friends link arms to sing Auld Lang Syne. They even get an extra day’s bank holiday to recover from all the festivities. But why exactly is this?

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Although Christmas is now an established tradition across Scotland, for centuries it was banned and hardly celebrated at all. Would you believe it wasn’t until 1958 that Christmas became a bank holiday in Scotland, meaning for hundreds of years Hogmanay was the primary winter festival for Scots?

The reason for this dates back to the 16th century when Scotland officially split from the Papacy and Catholic Church. The period was known as the Scottish Reformation and great debates raged over how exactly the Christian religion should be practised. Christmas became linked with the lavish and often extravagant celebrations of the Catholic Church. So, in 1640, Scotland officially banned the Christmas season. That’s right, in Scotland it was illegal to celebrate Yule and anyone found doing so risked imprisonment.

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This meant that New Year was the focal point of winter for the Scots. Even though the ban on Christmas was withdrawn in the late 17th century, by that stage Hogmanay had taken on a life of its own. It became known as the ‘daft days’, a period of merriment, celebration and excess that had given everyone something to look forward to during the bleak midwinter.

Whilst the Scottish Reformation sent Hogmanay into overdrive, its history dates back to the days of the Vikings and Celtic pagans. Those Norsemen from Scandinavia landed on Scottish shores in the early 8th century and soon after began to settle. Their presence, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, left a cultural mark that lingers to this day.

Hogmanay celebrations are believed to derive from a combination of ancient customs - the Viking celebration of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, and the Celtic pagan celebration of Samhain, the end of the harvest season.

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When it comes to the origins of the word, historians are less sure. Some have argued it comes from the French word ‘hoginane’, which derives from the medieval word ‘aguillaneuf’, meaning a ‘gift given at New Year’. Others have thrown in possible Greek, Norse and Scandinavian roots, but no-one really knows for sure.

One of the traditions of Hogmanay is something called ‘first-footing’, a tradition that dates back to the time of those Norse invaders. It still occurs today in Scotland and parts of Northern England.

After the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, people visit the homes of friends and family. The aim is to be the first foot to enter their home that year, all in the hope of bringing the household good luck for the twelve months ahead.

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Traditionally, the first foot should be a tall, dark-haired man carrying gifts. Why is this you ask? Well, back in the days of the Vikings, if a tall blonde-haired man carrying a sharpened axe knocked on your door, he was probably not there to wish you a Happy New Year!

There are a variety of gifts a first foot could bring, each symbolising different aspects of good fortune. The first is the black bun, a type of fruitcake completely covered in pastry. The bun ensures the people of the house won’t go hungry in the year ahead.

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The second gift is a lump of coal to symbolise warmth, which ensures the house stays warm in the cold months ahead. Other gifts include coins for prosperity and whisky for good cheer. A household should never let the first foot in if they are not carrying gifts, as this will be a bad omen of misfortune.

Speaking of bad luck, various housekeeping jobs should be conducted before the stroke of midnight, if the occupants are to avoid twelve months of adversity. The house should be cleaned from top to bottom whilst any ashes should be removed from the fireplace. Outstanding debts should also be cleared. The symbolism is obvious - out with the old and in with the new.

When January 1 was a ‘wicked’ Pagan festival called ‘Calends’

It is often claimed that New Year is a Christian festival. And that the current Gregorian New Year on January 1 was first instituted by Pope Gregory in 16th century. Is that really so?

According to Bible, New Year does not occur in the winter month of January. It rather occurs in Spring in the month of Nisan (March-April). This was precisely when the Early Christians celebrated new year. So how did the New Year “change”?

Until 1752, Christians of England and US celebrated the New Year on March 25. “The year begins on 25th day of March”-

When Christians celebrated New Year on March 25 then who celebrated the New Year on January 1?

The pagans celebrated the New Year on January 1. They called it the festival of Calends. They decorated their houses with wreaths and offered sacrifices to Goddess Juno.

Initially, the Christians banned the January 1 New year festival. “The whole wicked celebration is Pagan” they said.

January 1 was banned by Bishop Eufronius in the council of tours (567 CE). The Christians continued celebrating New Year on March 25.

“God created the universe on March 25” – Pope Benedict

It was only with introduction of Gregorian calendar in 1582 that January 1 was reinstated as New Year. By 16th century, there were no Pagans in Europe celebrating Calends. Having a new year on March 25 in a Calendar starting on January 1 had turned out to be very inconvenient.

Indeed, the Gregorian calendar is Christian and the shift involved from Julian involved a change to accommodate Easter. But this has got nothing to do with January 1 which was the new year directly adopted from pagan Julian calendar

(This article has been compiled from the tweet thread of @BharadwajSpeaks)

Why Did Early Christians And Pagans Fight Over New Year's Day?

Romans looked forward to the free food and games that occurred at annual New Year's celebrations, but early Christian clerics were not as keen on the revelries. Long before the so-called "war on Christmas," there was the war on New Year's Day.

A 3rd century CE mosaic of the hippodrome at Carthage. The mosaic is now in the museum in Bardo.

Pascal Radigue (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Romans called January 1st the Kalends of January. It was termed the Kalendae in Latin or Καλάνδαι in Greek, and was placed on public calendars called fasti. The Kalends is what gives us the modern word "calendar." The Kalendae Ianuariae was a time of particular hope and anticipation for the coming year. It was filled with celebrations and religious rites that focused on the health of individual Romans and of the state.

Romans literally got off on the right foot by leading with their right leg as they entered temples, houses and other doorways on this and many other days. As archaeologist Steven J.R. Ellis has noted, one's right foot was considered far more auspicious than their sinister foot (left foot), and one always wanted to begin auspiciously in a new year.

New Year's celebrations normally began with a large parade within the city of Rome on January 1 that is not all that different from the Tournament of Roses parade that precedes the Rose Bowl. Senators, magistrates, clients and many others met at the houses of the two designated consuls for the year and–at least in the Republic and early empire–traditionally sacrificed two bulls at the temple for Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

The temple was on Rome's Capitoline hill. A vow was then made to invoke safety for the Roman people and the Republic in the coming year. Elsewhere in the city, worshippers at the temple to Aesculapius (the God of medicine) on the Tiber Island, celebrated the temple's dedication on January 1 of 291 BCE. Romans looked to Janus, the god of new beginnings, but clearly also thought of Jupiter and Aesculapius too.

By the later imperial period, the celebration centered more on the emperor and was extended to five days. The third day was now the one reserved for the vota to the health of the emperor and the empire. It was then followed by a series of chariot races that eventually lasted up to three days.

Along with coins and fruit, ceramic lamps were often given as small party favors at New Year's . [+] celebrations. This one has the goddess of Victory. On her shield is an inscription wishing a happy and fruitful new year. The 1st-2nd century lamp is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC-0).

The various festivals and rituals that formed Greco-Roman religion (and by extension, the festival calendar) did not stay unchanged within the Mediterranean for all of antiquity. Following the victory of Constantine at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE, Christianity was made licit and then encouraged by the emperor until his death in 337. With the Roman emperor as its visible patron, the relatively small religion grew mightily over the next few decades. In turn, Christian clerics also became more powerful figures within Roman cities as more people converted. And yet New Year's remained a time for traditional religion.

Under the emperor Julian, a central concern became reviving traditional Roman religion and rejecting Christian customs. Julian celebrated the Kalends of January in the eastern city of Antioch in the year 363 and used the much-anticipated fanfare surrounding the inauguration of consuls, the chariot races and the speeches delivered to the emperor to great effect in his revival program. In other words? Julian needed New Year's to help him bring back traditional religion, which we might today call paganism.

As ancient historian Fritz Graf noted about Julian in his book on Roman festivals held in the eastern portion of the empire: "The celebration of the Kalendae had even become more important, and the emperor perhaps even somewhat desperate." Julian would die only six months later while on campaign in the East against Persia. His plan to fully revive paganism might not have been successful, but the Kalends of January remained an important part of the calendar in the ancient Mediterranean.

Critics of the Kalendae became fiercer following the return to Christian emperors after the death of Julian. The proclamation of Christianity as the official religion of the state in 380 paved the way for the closing of pagan temples and banning of pagan sacrifices. A priest named John Chrysostom may have been at the New Year's Day celebrations at Antioch in 363 and he wouldn't soon forget them. Between 387 and 398, the then-priest gave a sermon condemning the New Year's celebrations that gripped the empire every year. It was a scathing homily given just prior to his becoming a bishop and neatly outlined the clerical view of the holiday.

As Graf notes, the preacher became shrill, claiming: "We are fighting a war, not against the Amalekites, not against other foreign attackers, but against the demons who parade through the marketplace. The devilish all-night celebrations that are held today, the jests and songs of blame and censure, the nocturnal dancing and this entire ridiculous comedy." That is right, you guys. This was the late antique prequel to Footloose and the fictional John Lithgow was being played by the very real John Chrysostom. Chrysostom warned that the opulence of the New Year's celebrations would then be carried forward for the rest of the year.

Well into the late fourth and early fifth centuries CE, clerics railed against the evils of the Kalends of January festivities. Such condemnations stemmed from worries about paganism, but they were perhaps also a reaction to the low attendance in churches during the celebrations. A bishop near the Black Sea censured his congregants for not attending church on January 1 and in North Africa, Augustine of Hippo also spoke out against the Kalends and begged the people not to attend the games.

Despite the clerical condemnation, Roman emperors still often used the Kalends of January as a way to renew the loyalty of the Roman people. Yet clerics wished to emphasize another festival: the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ (January 1) and then Epiphany (January 6).

As historian of early Christianity Andrew S. Jacobs writes about in his book, Christ Circumcised: A Study in Early Christian History and Difference, Christians wanted total separation of the Christian celebrations from the Kalendae Januariae, which they viewed as blasphemous: "As Christianity became a public religion, the sweep of time–daily, weekly, annual, cosmic–became a site of distinction." Into the fifth century, worship of the events surrounding the life of Christ increased and gained in popularity. During the medieval period, relics like that of the holy foreskin played a material part in solidifying the festival in the Christian mindset.

In 541/542 CE, the emperor Justinian put a further nail in the coffin of the Kalendae Januariae by abolishing the consulship altogether. Church councils also continued to condemn the celebrations with a finite ban in the 7th century CE. The traditional state calendar of the Romans continued to be rewritten like a palimpsest. Despite this, we have records of smaller feasts and revelry for New Year's Day continuing into the Middle Ages.

Medieval remembrances may have been quieter and without the ostentatious parades, sacrifices or chariot races of Rome in the high empire, but they do reveal something about the role of marking the new year in our daily lives. Regardless of culture or religion, we continue to use ritual not only to mark reflection on the past, but to inspire hope for the future. In that regard, New Year's Day and calendars generally can serve to structure our lives and–in part–to shape our resolve for the events we will encounter. Even John Chrysostom can't get rid of that itch.

As a Roman might have said to you on this day: "Annum novum faustum felicem vobis!” (An auspicious and happy new year to y'all!)

Illumination of the Circumcision of Christ from the Byzantine Menologion of Basil II. The . [+] circumcision occurred eight days after Christmas and was commemorated in the Christian calendar.

Public Domain via Wikimedia

Fans and gamers are eagerly awaiting the release of the game, as it promises a unique and immersive gaming experience. The Curse of the Sea Rats has generated significant interest and anticipation within the gaming community. Its distinctive art style and intriguing storyline have captured the attention of players worldwide.

As a result, the game has already gained a dedicated following even before its release. The developers have also stated that The Curse of the Sea Rats will be available on multiple platforms, including PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. This multi-platform release is expected to appeal to a wide range of players, giving them the opportunity to join the adventure on their preferred gaming platform. Although the release date for The Curse of the Sea Rats has yet to be announced, players can stay updated on the latest news and developments through the game's official website and social media channels. The developers have been actively sharing updates and behind-the-scenes content, keeping the community engaged and excited for the game's release. In conclusion, The Curse of the Sea Rats is an upcoming video game that has generated significant interest within the gaming community. While the release date has not been officially announced, players can look forward to an immersive pirate-themed adventure on multiple platforms in the near future..

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