Be happy while you are living, for you're a long time dead.

St. Giles' Festival

幾天前，收到學院寄來的信：說St. Giles' Day要到了，小心門窗，收好貴重物品！

Several weeks ago, I got a mail from Linacre College which reminded us that St. Giles Fair was coming.

牛津人不可不知St. Giles！他是中世紀的一位隱士，相當出名（我猜想地位有點像今日的證嚴法師？），國王賜與他土地，他用來蓋一間修道院（比證嚴法師幸運：慈濟可是法師們在菜市場用捐獻箱一點一滴累積的！）

Who is St. Giles? St. Giles was a famous hermit who was believed born in the 7th century. He founded a monastery on land given by a king.

期間，他蓋的修道院成為人們朝聖的首選（就像很多人會去花蓮慈濟精舍吃齋念佛）。許多關於St. Giles的傳說越來越多，而他的教義也迅速遠播（是啊，現在證嚴不但屢屢被推舉角逐諾貝爾和平獎，慈濟的美名也傳遍世界）。說到St. Giles，當時的人們就會聯想到幫助跛腳、痲瘋病人等等。

Since the Middle Ages, a great many people made the pilgrimage to his shrine (well, supposed to be the monastery). Meanwhile, some legends related to him were recorded and his cult was widely spread. Specifically, he was particularly associated with the help of cripples, lepers, and nursing mothers.

在英國，許多古老教堂和不下20間醫院都是捐獻給他。慶祝St. Giles的大節日主要有二：一在Winchester，二在牛津。可惜，前者早就沒辦了。牛津成了碩果僅存的地方：固定在每年的九月一日和二日慶祝。

In England, over than 100 ancient churches and at least 20 hospitals were dedicated to him. At least two festivals are connected to St. Giles' Day: one in Winchester and the other was in Oxford. However, St. Giles' Festival no longer exists in Winchester now: Oxford is the only place where the festival is still held on Sep. 1 and Sep. 2 every year!

這時的牛津可屌了！把長長的St. Giles街給封起來。駐進了許多娛樂器材、小吃攤，簡直就是活動行樂園。氛圍有點像台灣夜市：聞不到烤香腸、玉米的味道，取而代之的是漢堡、薯條、熱狗和炸雞塊！

On the St. Giles' Festival, the whole St. Giles Street is blocked and many MAGNIFICAT entertainment equipments are moved in. Of course, people can see a large number of vendors selling hamburgers, hot dog, fries and so on. In fact, the atmosphere is a bit like hanging around in Taiwanese night market! (Well, except for the huge equipments)