Ancient Roots

Did you know that St. Nicholas has a counterpart named Krampus? I just learned that today, and this is the evening he runs about, scaring children and catching the naughty ones in his large rusty chains to give them a beating with a collection of birch rods. The especially bad ones he would toss into a large basket on his back and take them to the river to drown, or toss them into the firey maw of Hell (good kiddies get fruit and sweets).

Now there's an incentive to behave. Even better than coal or no gifts at all!

This ides is still alive and well in the Alps where young men dress up as Krampus and run around scaring children or switching young women (though not likely to hurt like the real Krampus would have). This happens on the 5th of December, the eve before St. Nicholas Day.

I love old traditions! Especially the ones that scare little childrens.

Winter Raiments

We haz da snowz!

Again.

But this time more fell and it got a lot colder.

This was the view of the inner courtyard at my apartment building. Too bad you cannot really see the fluffy bits of crystal white floating down from the sky though the muted evening sun. It really was quite pretty. Sadly I am never really able to capture the beauty I see.

I need a better camera. One day.

Clicky for slightly larger picture.

'Tis The Season

One of the lovely things about being a stay-at-home mom and wife is that I have the mornings and afternoons to myself, to accomplish what I want or to take leisure time. Naturally my later afternoons and evenings are dedicated to cooking and looking after my family. I also have a sister who is able to stay at home, though her circumstances are slightly different, and her health dis-allows her from working too much outside of her home.

It is with this sister I enjoy spending some of my time with during the regular week (my other sister is busy and I can only kidnap her on Fridays and the weekends). However, lately, this has become a source of frustration. Not that my sister has done anything wrong, quite the contrary. It's me.

Twice now in the past month we have tried to get together to play amongst the pretty shops and sparkly things that catch our attentions. Twice now I have had to flatly refuse her.

Why?

Both hers and my own health.

I seem to be party central for the local cold/flu/virus. And it's not like I leave the doors wide open for these homewreckers either. They just seem to find me a rather hospitable host. And normally I appreciate that. But right now, it is just flat out making me mutter bizzarre curses in my little mind as I cough or try to swallow anything (sore throat). For this issue, I dare not expose my sister to my tenants, for she has a battered immune system as it is.

So alone I get to be tomorrow morning and afternoon. But that is okay. I still have a lot of cleaning to do. Well, there is always a lot of cleaning to do. It's like it multiplies in dark corners with the fertility of rabbits then crawls out in the predawn hours for me to trip over or stumble across later that morning.

Maybe the cats have something to do with it.

This is a picture I took a couple years ago. If you look carefully you can see this was taken in the city. Instead of 'Where's Waldo' it's Where's Stop Light'. I post this now because I love winter and I love snow, and it has been snowing outside this evening. Just a little. But I enjoy watching it fall from the murky cold skies to the earth.

Winter is my favorite time of year. I love the feel of things sleeping softly. If you pay close attention, you can actually feel the trees dozing. Well at least the ones of the non-evergreen variety. Though the evergreens to feel a little drowsy in winter because their sap slows down dramatically.

Now, hopefully that cough medicine I took a little while ago will kick in soon so I can drift off to my own rest without trying to expell my internal organs.

They really do need to stay on the inside.

Merry Chriharranunzaastice?!?

I read an interesting article today about two different women who made their decisions to go back to a store based on what was said to them this time of year. One was going to flat out challenge employees to say 'Merry Christmas' after she made the initial move, the other would only return if she got a 'Happy Holidays'. I think both of them are a little insane.

First off, I certainly would by happy to get a friendly greeting of "Happy Holidays", though this year I am tempted to ask which holiday they are referring to. Seriously! There are tons. This year the Solstice is going to be on the 21st. Yule is celebrated at that time too. Hanukkah starts on the 22nd and runs through the 29th. Christmas, is of course, the 25th. Kwanzaa starts on the 26th and runs through the first day of the New Year. There is even Muharram on the 29th, the Islamic New Year. So for what I have counted, that's six different holidays, not counting New Years, in an eighteen day spread.

The Catholic church really bungled this one, using this as a band aid to cover all the pagan celebrations this time of year. Nonetheless, I still plan on celebrating it in the Christian context, with a nod to the Solstice (I think it's fun and enlightening to celebrate some of the non-'traditional' days everyone used to celebrate a few hundred years ago). So all the 'Happy Holiday' people will be getting a hearty 'Merry Christmas' as my reply. And if they choose to give me funny looks for daring to name what the majority of what everyone is actually celebrating anyways, I shall ask them to which holiday they were referring.

And that does make me wonder, all these people, these secular people bent on including everyone and not naming Christ and his day that we are all celebrating, do they truly not have a Christmas tree? Is it perhaps topped with an angel or a star (representative of the star over Bethlehem)? Do they have candy canes (recalling shepherds crooks and the story of the nativity)? Perhaps?

Well if their trees no longer represent Christmas and Christ, do they hearken back to their ancient roots? The evergreen tree represents rebirth and renewal as the pagans saw it. Santa Claus has Christian origins, generous to children. The Yule Log is most certainly pagan, burning on the Solstice from dusk till dawn (and longer), but now situated with Christmas tradition. Wreaths and garlands of evergreens, holly, and mistletoe adorn homes, back to when celebrating pagans would adorn their homes for their festivities. Do they do these things because they are honoring ancient practices?

Well, then, just what are they celebrating? Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Muharram? If they can't answer with anything specific (love, brotherhood, the season, etc. do not count), then they are simply posers, doing things because the Joneses are doing them and they look pretty. "I can do it if I want to!" certainly, but why are you doing it? If you aren't really celebrating anything, then why participate in Christian and Pagan rituals?

It's okay, you may borrow my huff to leave in.

And if anyone wants to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, or Solstice, or Yule, or Kwanzaa, or Muharram, I will not be offended. I will smile and say thank-you and wish a Merry Christmas (as I don't think it's proper to give greetings for a holiday you aren't celebrating) in return, since that is what I shall be celebrating.