OK another cold front and it’s dreary and rainy and 69 degree….BURRRRRR

MY CUTIE FOR THE DAY…From the Ft. Christmas Cracker Christmas I attended this weekend….great and a really, really good turn out on Sat.  when I was there.

 

 

and way beyond cute:

OUTLANDER’S JAMIE FRASER

 

 

 

 

LET’S LOOK AT SOME WEIRD HOLIDAY TRADITIONS:

The Japanese traditionally eat KFC for Christmas:  No lie according to  ABC News (KFC’s Colonel Sanders Signals Christmas in Japan  TOKYO, Dec. 20, 2010).  Infact sales at KFC are 5-10 times higher in December and if you want a Christmas feast it’s recommended that you get your orders in at least two months in advance for the traditional Christmas party barrels which sell for about $40 these days – a family pack that includes fried chicken, a salad, and chocolate cake. But the holiday menu isn’t limited to fried chicken.  KFC offers roast chicken, smoked chicken, even barbecue chicken for a limited time.).  It all dates back to about 40 years ago when visitors who couldn’t get the usual Christmas feasts went to the colonel to get a familiar meal for the holidays back when the holiday wasn’t widely celebrated in the area.   In 1974 they offered the first Christmas meal and have been doing so ever since.  Since then the Japanese have taken up Christmas in a non-religious way and they settled on the KFC with its certain amount of nostalgia attached to the KFC Christmas meal. People try to pass the tradition onto their children.

 

 

 

 

The first artificial Christmas trees In the US:  While the first artificial trees  were developed in Germany during in the 1880s  and were made of goose feathers that were dyed green  (they were one response to continued deforestation in Germany.)became increasingly popular during the early part of the 20th century   But it is a fact that the first American artificial trees were wooden, tree-shaped pyramids lit by candles, they were developed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by the German Moravian Church in 1747.

 

 

 

 

 

Ukranians Decorate their trees with artificial Spider Webs.  The tradition is based upon the following legend:
There once was a widow, who lived in a small hut. One day a pinecone dropped on the floor and it took root. Her children were excited that they would have a tree for Christmas. All summer long they made plans on how they would decorate the tree. They were very poor, so poor that they did not have anything to decorate the tree with. The widow went to bed on Christmas Eve knowing that the tree would not be decorated. Early on Christmas morning, the woman was awakened by her children. “Mother, mother wake up and see the tree it is beautiful!” The mother arose and saw that during the night a spider had spun a web around the tree. The youngest child opened the window to the first light of Christmas Day. As the shafts of the sun crept along the floor, it touched one of the threads of the spider web and instantly the web was changed into gold and silver. And from that day forward the widow never wanted for anything.  https://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/catw2004/traditions/countries/ukraine.html

 

 

 

Greenland delicacy includes decomposed birds.  This Christmas food is ‘kiviak’. This is the raw flesh of little auks (a type of arctic bird) which have been buried whole in sealskin for several months until they have reached an advanced stage of decomposition!   OK I’m going to Japan for Christmas dinner.  http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2013/12/24/35-weirdest-christmas-traditions-around-world/

 

 

 

 

Belgium has a Covert Santa.  While Pere Noel does the present part there is a second Santa:  St. Nicholas who is the spy of the duo and about  Dec 4 he starts his spy misssion to investigate the backgrounds of unsuspecting children. This Santa who is more of a creepy stalker with late-night stakeouts and the like;  is quick though and has everything to Pere Noel in time for Christmas.  After that it’s close to our traditions with presents for the good and twigs (instead of coal) for the bad.   http://www.cracked.com/article_14991_6-insane-christmas-traditions-from-around-world.html#ixzz3LKTfsFWe

 

 

 

 

In Austria Christmas is more like Halloween.  With a  wolf-like creature, Krampus  (he works for Saint Nicholas—that guy has issues)  only it scares children into being well behaved  with fear, not presents motivating the change.   In December folks like to run around in the scary costumes….and I thought the stalker was bad.  http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/weird-christmas-traditions-around-world/

 

and the Christms catalog is www.vermontcountrystore.com

 

 

for the woman who has given up on men forever

 

Women’s Lanz Cranberry Tyrolean Flannel Nightgown

 

 

For the Nostalgia buff:

 

The one thing women don’t want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husband. – Joan Rivers