Roc is the distaff, but what is Roc Day? 

Roc Day is the gathering of spinners that occurs the day following Epiphany.

The legend has it that after fortnight, women, who had put up their wheels and looms for the holiday baking and chores, returned to weaving and spinning, but the men wouldn’t return to their farm duties until the following Monday. In between this time, the men would harass the women (figures, nothing has changed), so the women wouldn’t get much done, but merrymaking resulted. 

And...some great sayings have derived from this term:
"To have tow on one's roc" or to have business to attend to.

Roc  (or rock) is another of those Viking-derived words for the distaff. 
Rokkr in Old Norse.
Rocko in Old High German.

Other languages have similar terms for the distaff.  
Rocca in Italian. 
Rocken in German.
Rok, rokken in Dutch. 
Rock in Swedish.
Rok in Danish. 
Rokkr in Icelandic. 

Other words have been derived from roc, most notably rocket, based on its shape.

This is not the Latin derived word for stone (from rocca) nor the Persian mythical bird of enormous strength.

Technically, then, Roc Day is January 7^th, the day after Epiphany. However, we celebrate the Gulf Coast States Roc Day on the 1^st Saturday after the New Year holiday.

Our “reason” is for the get-together is to spin, knit, or use some other portable fiber technique, but we visit, invite vendors so we can shop, show off our pieces, catch up on the year events, and have a leisurely lunch.

Come and spin with us, whether you spin or not!

Guilds in the Gulf Coast states have hosted Roc Day for years.

This table records the sponsor guilds for past Roc Days.  Links to more information are in the adjacent menu.

Year (Link to its archive)	Venue	Host Guild	Chairs	Photo Album (click to get album in new window)
2020	Bill Waller Crafts Center Ridgeland, MS	Chimneyville Weavers and Spinners Guild	Kathy Perito
2019	Pass Christian Yacht Club Pass Christian, MS	Dyed in the Wool Weavers/Spinners of the Mississippi Gulf Coast	Margaret Harris Jean Sparkes
2018	Knights of Columbus Hall Plaquemine, LA	River Road Fiber Guild	Margaret Ganier Charlene Bishop
2017	Dry Creek Baptist Camp Dry Creek, LA	Spinners and Weavers of Imperial Calcasieu	Scottie Santiago
2016	Florida Boulevard Baptist Church Gym Baton Rouge, LA	Bayou Yarn Benders Baton Rouge Fiber Guild	Mary Lynn Jackson
2015	Deutsches Haus 200 S. Galvez, New Orleans, LA	New Orleans Weavers' Guild	Beverly Madere
2014	Craftsmen's Guild Crafts Center Ridgeland, MS	Chimneyville Weavers and Spinners Guild	Donna Peyton
2013	Pass Christian Yacht Club  Pass Christian, MS	Dyed in the Wool Weavers/Spinners of the Mississippi Gulf Coast	Jean Sparkes
2012	Dry Creek Baptist Camp Dry Creek, LA	Spinners and Weavers of Imperial Calcasieu	Beth Syron Rhonda Selser
2011	Woodmen of the World Maurice, LA	Acadiana Weavers and Spinners	Gerald Thibodeaux
2010	Catholic Deaf Center Baton Rouge, LA	Bayou Yarn Benders Baton Rouge Fiber Guild	Mary Lynn Jackson
2009	Lavin-Bernick Center Tulane University New Orleans, LA	New Orleans Weavers Guild	Bev Madere
2008	Craftsmen's Guild Crafts Center Ridgeland, MS	Chimneyville Weavers and Spinners Guild	Marcy Petrini
2007	Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center Ocean Springs, MS	Dyed in the Wool Weavers/Spinners of the Mississippi Gulf Coast	Jean Sparkes
2006	Reeves Uptown Catering Lake Charles, LA	Spinners and Weavers of Imperial Calcasieu	Beth Syron Ronda Selser
2005	Jefferson Island Lafayette, LA	Acadiana Weavers and Spinners	Gerald Thibodeaux
2004	Federal Order of Police Hall, Baton Rouge, LA	Bayou Yarn Benders Baton Rouge Fiber Guild	Sarah Kemp
2003	Castine Center Pellican Park Mandeville LA	New Orleans Weavers Guild	Bev Madere
2002	Hinds Community College, Pearl MS	Chimneyville Weavers and Spinners Guild	Debbie Stringer
2001	Pass Christian Yacht Club  Pass Christian, MS	Dyed in the Wool Weavers/Spinners of the Mississippi Gulf Coast	Sandy Bell
2000	Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center Forrest Hill, LA	Spinners and Weavers of Imperial Calcasieu	Rhonda Selser