When used as a noun, a halcyon refers to a mythical bird similar to a kingfisher, which is a colorful, tropical bird. Many pictures of real kingfishers can be found online, and the information below is from Wikipedia and relates to the use of the phrase "halcyon days".
Halcyon which gives its name to the family Halcyonidae is a mythical bird similar to the kingfisher. Ovid and Hyginus both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the etymology for "halcyon days", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that these were originally the seven days each year (either side of the shortest day of the year) during which Alcyone (as a kingfisher) laid her eggs and made her nest on the beach and during which her father Aeolus, god of the winds, restrained the winds and calmed the waves so she could do so in safety. The phrase has since become a term used to describe a peaceful time generally.
A blue sky Sunday like today resulted in a true "halcyon day" for me. In truth, though, it's the calm before the storm as I look at my list of all the errands and packing I have to do for my trip!
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