Global Holidays and Celebrations

[DB (f.k.a. DaveBro)]

That's OK Haiz, we'll celebrate Syttende Mai for you here in Georgia, only on Saturday.   

Thanks for explaining about the Russ, there were a few very bleary examples tottering around Stavanger the couple of times we were there for it.  I thought folketoget (people's parade) was really fun, with martial arts clubs, garage bands, and a *very* brave belly-dance club, with everyone demonstrating their hobbies.
Our grandkids live right on the folketoga parade route, which *really* makes it more enjoyable than walking to & from the official parade of schools & dignitaries.

Saturday at our house won't be terribly similar, except for a couple of flags and a little smoked salmon at our quarterly housefilk for Georgia Filkers Anonymous (GaFiA).  Mostly we'll just sing and catch up with each other.

I hope I can finish off my SSSS filk in time. ::mild panic::  I wish we could have some Minnions over, and thoroughly indoctrinate the GaFiAns!

[Noodles]

That's OK Haiz, we'll celebrate Syttende Mai for you here in Georgia, only on Saturday.   

And I've managed to convince at least two friends to come to the Syttende Mai parade here (Ballard) on Sunday, so we'll be thinking of you too! (OK, they won't be cause only one of them reads SSSS [I'm working on it] and she's not a Forumite, but you get the idea)

[LadyRamkin]

I am about to go to a European style Christmas market. I am really excited. Pics to follow.

[Haiz]

not only is it independence day in finland, but it's st nicholas day too O: we don't celebrate that in norway, but czech people do - so we have a tradition of gathering the czech community in trondheim to do it every year. except the czech community seems to grow bigger for every year - and not all the people are czech, most of the people who moved here have, like my mom, married a norwegian person. there are also some slovakians and uh, a german person? and there are so many small kids, too... there was a wall of noise so i spent most of my time hiding in an empty room to play pokemon. I guess the half-czech kids my age have stopped coming to Mikuláš.

ANYWAY, we celebrate Mikuláš by having st nicholas himself appear, along with an angel and a devil. He carries a book that says all the good and bad deeds of children. JUDGEMENT DAY. the kids hear from him what they've done well and what they need to improve, and if they sing a song they get candy. If they're really bad, the devil will take them in his sack and carry them off to hell. Of course, all the children get candy, but most also get a potato or a piece of coal in their stocking as well. The children are very young and they are usually absolutely terrified of the devil ahaha ha. the devil is usually dressed in black wooly things and is covered in soot and has a rattly chain. I was asked to be the angel (being the devil is way more fun) so my job was to try to make the kids less terrified. not sure if it worked very well^^" I'm probably gonna post pics of angel haiz sometime later

there was also all this delicious food. pizza rolls! mikuláš-shaped ginger breads!! CAKE!! also some pink goop with a finnish name that was pretty okay.

i also spent at least half an hour petting sheep skins because some of our czech friends have a sheep farm and they sell printed skins and they are Soft and Beautiful

Spoiler: sheep skins • show

[Mélusine]

ANYWAY, we celebrate Mikuláš by having st nicholas himself appear, along with an angel and a devil. He carries a book that says all the good and bad deeds of children. JUDGEMENT DAY. the kids hear from him what they've done well and what they need to improve, and if they sing a song they get candy. If they're really bad, the devil will take them in his sack and carry them off to hell. Of course, all the children get candy, but most also get a potato or a piece of coal in their stocking as well. The children are very young and they are usually absolutely terrified of the devil ahaha ha. the devil is usually dressed in black wooly things and is covered in soot and has a rattly chain. I was asked to be the angel (being the devil is way more fun) so my job was to try to make the kids less terrified. not sure if it worked very well^^" I'm probably gonna post pics of angel haiz sometime later

Oh, that's interesting, we don't celebrate St Nicholas like that, in the areas which celebrate this day in France.

[Haiz]

Oh, that's interesting, we don't celebrate St Nicholas like that, in the areas which celebrate this day in France.

I also realized now the whole ritual sounds very religious, but it's not! or at least it doesn't feel that way - angels and demons/devils are more like fairytale figures in czech culture. One of my favourite czech movies, a fairytale adaption that plays every christmas, is about the demons in hell, and they're portrayed rather sympathetically, even if somewhat lazy and/or incompetent.

Spoiler: turns out i come from two pretty non-religious cultures • show

[Mélusine]

I also realized now the whole ritual sounds very religious, but it's not! or at least it doesn't feel that way - angels and demons/devils are more like fairytale figures in czech culture.

The story the children know here is more... awful, about three little children, a butcher and St Nicholas... (Or as internet says in English better than me : "The most popular [story] (also the subject of a popular French children's song) is of three children who wandered away and got lost. Cold and hungry, a wicked butcher lured them into his shop where he killed them and salted them away in a large tub. Through St. Nicolas' help the boys were revived and returned to their families, earning him a reputation as protector of children.") St Nicholas comes with the Père Fouettard (with a role equivalent of the devil with yours St Nicholas I assume Haiz), all in black, who frighten the little children. But if they had been good, it's St Nicholas who will reward them with candies, gingerbread, chocolate and clementines.

[Helia]

not only is it independence day in finland, but it's st nicholas day too O: we don't celebrate that in norway, but czech people do - so we have a tradition of gathering the czech community in trondheim to do it every year. except the czech community seems to grow bigger for every year - and not all the people are czech, most of the people who moved here have, like my mom, married a norwegian person. there are also some slovakians and uh, a german person? and there are so many small kids, too... there was a wall of noise so i spent most of my time hiding in an empty room to play pokemon. I guess the half-czech kids my age have stopped coming to Mikuláš.

ANYWAY, we celebrate Mikuláš by having st nicholas himself appear, along with an angel and a devil. He carries a book that says all the good and bad deeds of children. JUDGEMENT DAY. the kids hear from him what they've done well and what they need to improve, and if they sing a song they get candy. If they're really bad, the devil will take them in his sack and carry them off to hell. Of course, all the children get candy, but most also get a potato or a piece of coal in their stocking as well. The children are very young and they are usually absolutely terrified of the devil ahaha ha. the devil is usually dressed in black wooly things and is covered in soot and has a rattly chain. I was asked to be the angel (being the devil is way more fun) so my job was to try to make the kids less terrified. not sure if it worked very well^^" I'm probably gonna post pics of angel haiz sometime later

there was also all this delicious food. pizza rolls! mikuláš-shaped ginger breads!! CAKE!! also some pink goop with a finnish name that was pretty okay.

We have similar traditions in Hungary - we even call Santa Claus the same, Mikulás (clearly borrowed from a slavic language) - but it's a real Central European cultural mix
He only appears and brings presents to children on the 6th December - on Christmas eve it's the 'little Jesus' who's responsible for the gifts.
Traditionally the Mikulás looked more like a bishop, with long red robe and a staff, but thanks to the American influence (mostly the Coca-Cola ads) now we have the same Santa like anywhere else.

The devil-like creature is actually a Krampus (Austrian/Bavarian influence), who's not necessary evil, but quite mischievous.
Kids have to clear their boots and put them in the window before they go to sleep - Mikuás puts his presents in the boots through the window. The gifts are chocolate Santa Claus figures, candies - we have a special Christmas thing called Szaloncukor (chocolate wrapped in fancy paper), small fruits, like mandarin orange. If the kids were bad during the year, they also get a small, golden rod as a punishment (everyone gets a rod  )

the rod:


Szaloncukor:

[JoB]

I also realized now the whole ritual sounds very religious, but it's not! or at least it doesn't feel that way - angels and demons/devils are more like fairytale figures in czech culture.

To give sort of a bird's-eye perspective on this matter: Saint Nicholas is a historic, and very pronouncedly Christian, figure. The job of bringing gifts for children is Nick's in some places, and the infant Jesus' (Christkind) in others, with the exact day that happens having even more than two variants. Where holidays see St. Nick actually appearing in front of children, he's almost universally contrasted by an impersonation of the not-so-nice (a touch of realism that the Christkind approach entirely leaves out). That impersonation, finally, has the most regional variation, from Haiz' "demons" (and angels) to Krampus to Knecht Ruprecht to Zvarte Piet (the latter three being comparatively similar in their characteristics) to the French butcher.

[wavewright62]

(I love the smell of thread necromancy in the morning....)
Just wanted to wish you all Happy Hanukkah!  We had the first night last night.

[viola]

Santa: The OG Chief Justice of Canada

[Gwenno]

This is the best kind of necromancy!

I love the seashell Menorah and the festive Chief Justices 

[JoB]

Santa: The OG Chief Justice of Canada

So those are the ones you Canadians trust to nick laws?

[viola]

This is the best kind of necromancy!

I love the seashell Menorah and the festive Chief Justices 

This is what they wear normally. Like all year long.

[Róisín]

Viola: showed the picture to my husband, who said: "Why not? Seasonal workers need a day job."

And Wavewright: the seashell menora with pohutekawa blossom flame is lovely! Happy Hanukkah!