Saint Agatha

Today, 4 February, is the Feast Day of Saint Agatha. She is the patron saint of bell founders. Don't you want to know why? It's a gruesome story. Because she rejected the advances of Consul Quintian - this all happened in the third century - he had her tortured, which included cutting off her breasts. She is often depicted in art carrying them on a tray, and because of their supposed resemblance to bells, she became the protectress of bell founders. It is believed that their resemblance also to round loaves led to the custom of blessing bread in church on her feast day. Today is also the Feast Day of the twenty-six Christian martyrs of Japan who were crucified in Nagasaki in 1597 on the orders of the Shogun of Nagasaki, Hideyoshi.

And you thought the fourth of February was just a day like any other.