Zorn: Capitol attack gave January 6 an indelible new reputation

Today, Thursday, Jan. 6, is the Christian holiday of Epiphany. It commemorates when the Magi - the wise men of scripture - met with the infant Jesus, and coincides with the 12th day of Christmas.

You may have assumed that the 12 days of Christmas commemorated in that tedious song began on December 14 and culminated on Christmas Day with the presentation of the drummers drumming. But no. In olden times, the celebrations started on December 25.

Anyway, most people are up to here with seasonal observances by the time January 6th rolls around. Thanksgiving Christmas and New Year's merrymaking leaves them partied out. I'm keenly aware of all this because January 6 is my birthday, and it's generally been a muted affair due to festivity fatigue. But, hey, like many other early-January babies, I got used to having an obscure birthday.

Then, a year ago, came the insurrection in Washington, D.C. - the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol led by supporters of defeated President Donald Trump. "January 6" became shorthand for all the disturbing events of that day.

For his thoughts on how the insurrection shaped our view of January 6, check the full article on Eric's newsletter The Picayune Sentinel at https://ericzorn.substack.com.