River Cruising Water Cooler

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Oh, nearly forgot, it is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, is it not? Here we do not see it that way generally but 6 January is of course the arrival of the Three Kings (Magi) and marked as Epiphany - in the calendar a holiday in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony-Anhalt as "Heilige Drei Könige". So, no public holiday where I am. It is the day for the young "Sternsinger" to raise money for charity.

The 'Christmas season' has become a very vague term in the US.  Stores put up decorations before Thanksgiving now [earlier and earlier every year] and take them down on Dec. 26 [a new definition of 'boxing day' – the day we put the decorations back in their boxes!]  My church only decorates for Christmas eve and keeps the decorations through Epiphany [a short span this year], although I believe that the Catholic definition of the season goes all the way to the Baptism of the Lord [this coming Sunday].  So the 'twelve days of Christmas' is nothing but an obscure Christmas carol...

 

It's an unfortunate juxtaposition IMO, because the secular approach destroys all sense of waiting and by the time the church is ready to sing Christmas carols we're already tired of them...

[sharkster77]

25 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

The 'Christmas season' has become a very vague term in the US.  Stores put up decorations before Thanksgiving now [earlier and earlier every year] and take them down on Dec. 26 [a new definition of 'boxing day' – the day we put the decorations back in their boxes!]  My church only decorates for Christmas eve and keeps the decorations through Epiphany [a short span this year], although I believe that the Catholic definition of the season goes all the way to the Baptism of the Lord [this coming Sunday].  So the 'twelve days of Christmas' is nothing but an obscure Christmas carol...

 

It's an unfortunate juxtaposition IMO, because the secular approach destroys all sense of waiting and by the time the church is ready to sing Christmas carols we're already tired of them...

Right Jazz, the Catholic Church distinguishes between Advent season (before Christmas) and Christmas season, which ends Sunday.  There is a great Lucy Worsley program on the Tudor 12 Days of Christmas that talks about the 12 day celebration---Henry VIII would spend a huge chunk of his budget on that 12 day period!

[notamermaid]

52 minutes ago, sharkster77 said:

Right Jazz, the Catholic Church distinguishes between Advent season (before Christmas) and Christmas season, which ends Sunday.  There is a great Lucy Worsley program on the Tudor 12 Days of Christmas that talks about the 12 day celebration---Henry VIII would spend a huge chunk of his budget on that 12 day period!

Ah, yes. Advent of course meaning the anticipation and preparation for "adventus", the arrival. It is still adhered to by so many people as a proper time frame, despite shops pulling it forward into November (and the gingerbread being available in early September).

 

Love that program with Lucy Worsley, such celebration and decadence in Tudor times and fine, fun history teaching on top of that.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

It certainly gave Lucy another chance to dress up she loves it. Mind you day to day she does wear some beautiful clothes. 
According to my mother all signs of Christmas had to be removed by midnight on the the 5th or 12th night as it is known.

[Host Jazzbeau]

It's all well and good – until you get the data overage charges from those 'four calling birds'...

[vada_9]

Christmas is certainly over here. The hot cross buns were on the shelves on Boxing Day. New variety this year - Vegemite. A couple of years back I refused to buy any until closer to Easter and then there were none available.

Edited January 7, 2022 by vada_9

[Canal archive]

What! Not Marmite? (Tah dah)

[notamermaid]

On 1/7/2022 at 6:58 AM, vada_9 said:

The hot cross buns were on the shelves on Boxing Day. New variety this year - Vegemite.

These two sentences really show the nuances in culture and tradition although we are essentially both Christian countries and quite close in "Western" ideas. Boxing Day is a public holiday with full shop closure here, Hot Cross Buns do not exist in Germany and I reckon Vegemite and Marmite are only known to the "initiated" into British/American/Australian food and the expats.

 

These last ten days I have been roaming around the countryside in the Northern half of my state, apart from working and what else one does in life, trying to avoid German television (apart from travel documentaries and steam trains), waiting for Omicron to hit me (not yet done if tests are accurate) and seeing how the rivers behave. So in the next week or so I would like to share a few photos and day trip details with you. Some of that will go into the Moselle thread. The Moselle was flooding a bit and the Rhine is high, but we have no big problems with it, it is within the range of annual to biannual occurrence. Today is a day where the line between landscape and river is blurred, all seems a mass of light grey sky, the river of course reflecting the light as it comes onto the surface. A rather unappealing mix. With Christmas lights having been taken down we have entered the"boring nothingness" of January. A next highlight in many people's life in the yearly calendar would be Carnival. But as you can imagine, much of that has been cancelled already. I expect this season be a rather empty one, void of many celebrations and much of the fun.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by notamermaid

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I reckon Vegemite and Marmite are only known to the "initiated" into British/American/Australian food and the expats.

They are virtually unknown in the US, and almost unknown here in Canada unless you have British/Australian connections.

 

And, while boxing day (which doesn't exist at all in the US) is generally a holiday for office workers in Canada, after many years of companies defying bans on Boxing Day shopping, it is no longer illegal here in Ontario for stores to open, although the Boxing Day sales that people used to line up for here have basically disappeared, and not just due to Covid.

Edited January 11, 2022 by gnome12

[Canal archive]

Scenic being an Australian company has always had Vegemite and has had Marmite for some few years. It still raises comments. Regardless of nationality I think it’s wonderful that we all understand Boxing Day, Hot Cross buns the Easter Bunny etc. I remember my dad having a beer stein with a stack of animals on it what it was all about  I really don’t know. Do you?

[Ritabob]

Are you referring to a stack with a donkey dog cat and chicken? I think hey are from the Town musicians of Bremen.

[gnome12]

47 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Scenic being an Australian company has always had Vegemite and has had Marmite for some few years. It still raises comments. Regardless of nationality I think it’s wonderful that we all understand Boxing Day, Hot Cross buns the Easter Bunny etc. I remember my dad having a beer stein with a stack of animals on it what it was all about  I really don’t know. Do you?

Most Americans look at you blankly if you mention Boxing Day.

[Canal archive]

I must admit we’ve fairly recently gained the Elf on the Shelf and the Christmas Eve box evidently usually containing new pyjamas. Personally I love the Dutch St Nicholas & Black Pete but I expect that will be changed soon. My Guide company made sure that they celebrated ever event that they could Diwali was a favourite.

[CPT Trips]

10 hours ago, notamermaid said:

and I reckon Vegemite and Marmite are only known to the "initiated" into British/American/Australian food and the expats.

Strike American. 😉

[vada_9]

Well, Boxing Day here is a public holiday. But, the shops are open and we have the Boxing Day Sales ( still happening - but not as crazy as a few years ago - I have never been. ) Actually, the BD sales started before Christmas last year, Daughter and I went and got a couple if new car seats for the kids week before.

In our household, we always watch the start of the Boxing Day test match - cricket - always played at the MCG in Melbourne. Husband watches all 5 days and we flick across to the Sydney - Hobart yacht race.

Now some flavours of hot cross buns that have been around . Plain, fruit ie dried sultanas etc -my favourite, apple and cinnamon, choc chip (too sweet and messy).

[Canal archive]

Boxing Day footie was the sport to follow here the weather wasn’t right for - whisper it -  cricket, oops well done by the way the way we played you deserve to keep the Ashes.

Dad in the Navy (every ship had a team) so Cricket fan for ever, 

Ritabob thank you yes the musicians of Bremen my sister has the beer stein now.

[Daisi]

21 hours ago, gnome12 said:

They are virtually unknown in the US, and almost unknown here in Canada unless you have British/Australian connections.

 

And, while boxing day (which doesn't exist at all in the US) is generally a holiday for office workers in Canada, after many years of companies defying bans on Boxing Day shopping, it is no longer illegal here in Ontario for stores to open, although the Boxing Day sales that people used to line up for here have basically disappeared, and not just due to Covid.

 

Vegemite is quite common in our local grocery stores.  There are also a lot of UK specialty stores around here.  We go occasionally for crisps and pies, but spend most of our shopping in the European deli's and stores.

 

 

19 hours ago, Canal archive said:

I must admit we’ve fairly recently gained the Elf on the Shelf and the Christmas Eve box evidently usually containing new pyjamas. Personally I love the Dutch St Nicholas & Black Pete but I expect that will be changed soon. My Guide company made sure that they celebrated ever event that they could Diwali was a favourite.

 

I grew up with Swiss family, they also have the St. Nicholas tradition on Dec. 6.  That was our first Christmas, then we had a 2nd one Christmas Eve for my Father's Quebec family.  Christmas Day was just a mess, very tired kids (we would be eating a big dinner at midnight after Mass), and lots more family.  Boxing Day was always Mom's "kick the kids out to go sledding/skiing on the hill" so she and Dad could have their peace.  Now we are the ones who do our Christmas on Boxing Day, as we are (pre-covid) still busy with families on the two previous days.

[Canal archive]

Whoops forgot midnight mass all denominations not to be missed especially in my youth.

[notamermaid]

This has been really interesting to read, folks. Thanks. I had really thought you were a bit closer together in traditions in the Anglo-speaking world, of course also varying within your countries a bit, i.e. depending on your region. So many different details. With Carnival coming up soon - if not in events than at least on paper in the calendar - we will hopefully see the food still. Perhaps I should eat tons of fatty and sugary stuff like Mutzen in despair over my mad country, hoping it helps. In bad moments I am ready to strangle someone. Glad that the greengrocers, my family and the cats still bring me back to calm. When I write that I want to go to the mountain hut it is not because of Covid. I am not afraid of Omicron, I am afraid of, err, other things and a few people.

 

So, to the tale of the musicians. Perhaps someone is not familiar with it. Here is the Brothers Grimm's written down version of the fairy tale: https://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/the_bremen_town_musicians

 

Very much part of my childhood. Did you read this in childhood, people? Cinderella and others are more popular among Anglophones I believe.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Thank you Notamermaid another story to add to my list I’ve never read or heard it completely. I’ve just been sorting out some Edward Lear nonsense rhymes for my grandson. 

[Daisi]

I remember that story... not sure it was for a specific town, but I do remember the "musicians" outfoxing the robbers and having a nice place to stay. 

 

Thanks @notamermaid for a long forgotten childhood memory!

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Daisi

[notamermaid]

7 minutes ago, Daisi said:

Thanks @notamermaid for a long forgotten childhood memory!

Ouiii (exclamation of happiness), my pleasure. I will pass the thanks on to @Canal archive for first mentioning the stacked animals and thank @Ritabob for joining in with pointing out that it must be the fairy-tale.

 

What lovely conversations we are having. Cheering me up enormously.

 

notamermaid

 

[Ritabob]

I'm sure there must be many statues and images of the musicians.  This one is located in the Old Town in Riga, Latvia.  

Not sure why people want to touch parts of statues 'for good luck', but judging by the noses (beak) they climb up to do it. My head is below the donkey.  Now we have to bring our sanitizer wipes.

RB 

[TheKingD]

My step-mother and her sister were such big fans of the Bremen Town musicians and that was their favorite nursery rhyme.  My step-mother came into our lives after our mother died and after we were a little older, so we didn't know the story.  My aunt had given my Mom a porcelain figurine of the animals on each other's backs.  When my Mom was 95 and we knew she only had a few hours left, her sister sat in bed with her, holding her hand, and they talked about happy things from their childhood, including the Bremen Town musicians and also Heffalump from Winnie The Pooh.  I never knew the story until @notamermaidposted the link to it.  Thanks to all of you for bringing back those memories!

 

Also, @notamermaid, if your German friend still lives near me in Charlotte, our weather forecast is calling for a major snow and ice storm this weekend.  A lot of times, our weather people are wrong and seem to hype up an event that turns out to be of little consequence, but this one might be real.  We usually get a lot of ice mixed with the snow, so make sure he is prepared to lose power and have treacherous driving for a day or so.

[CPT Trips]

On 1/11/2022 at 1:03 PM, gnome12 said:

Most Americans look at you blankly if you mention Boxing Day.

As do most European’s at the mention of ”Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday”