Egyptian Days

Chambers sets out under 2 January the old belief in unlucky or Egyptian days, on which it was dangerous to begin any work, journey or enterprise. A Saxon manuscript named three such days in the year, and warned that anyone who let blood from man or beast on them would soon die, as would anyone who ate goose within forty days. The Exeter calendar of Henry II’s time marked New Year’s Day itself as a bad day, and Chambers reckons the Saxon calendars gave about twenty-four evil days in the year.