FMTSO: Holiday Traditions

 

One of the holiday traditions in Sweden is to put up extra lights in almost every window. Electric candlesticks in a variety of sizes and shapes, and/or stars. It’s also common to put a wreath or other decoration on your front door:

I took these photos today on my walk to/from the supermarket. The stone building is an old factory; the yellow wooden house was once upon a time the residence of the managing director. Nowadays both buildings have been converted into offices.

Snow for Christmas is something we can’t make a tradition of in this part of Sweden, even if it does belong in our mind’s image of how it “should” be. This year we had a mild, stormy and rainy Christmas; with the water level in the river rising very high.

Friday My Town Shoot Out – Holiday Traditions

♥ Merry Christmas ♥

Friday My Town Shoot Out – Colours of the Season

Weekend Reflections

FMTSO: What Lights Up My Town in December

The Christmas Tree and Market in the Square.

Light decorations replacing the water in the fountain.

Inside this tent (or goahti) there’s a temporary café serving hot drinks (coffee, tea or ‘glögg’) and perhaps a ginger biscuit or Lucia bun. Inside they have a live fire burning. There are fires outside in the square too, where you can warm your hands for a while:

In the wooden market stalls they sell mostly food stuff or handicraft objects, or lottery tickets.

Roasted almonds here!

On some days there are extra tents put up at the market.

In the streets there are “curtains” of lights hanging between the buildings:

Lucia, or St Lucy’s Day, is celebrated on 13th December. In Sweden, it’s customary for each town to elect a Lucia with a number of maids who spend December going round to various public places, singing traditional Lucia and Christmas songs, and collecting money for  charity. They also visit hospitals and nursing homes etc to bring joy to people who can’t get around much themselves.

My town’s official Lucia crowning ceremony took place on 7th December this year. (By then Lucia and her maids had already been “at work” for a week or two, though.) That ceremony takes place on the terrace on top of the stairs of the town hall/courthouse, at 4 pm when it’s getting dark.

This is the best shot I was able to get with my little camera from below in the crowd:

We also have a more recent tradition of an ice sculpture or sculptures also being hewn on the spot by an ice sculptor that weekend. I was not there to watch it being made this year and I’m not actually sure what it’s supposed to represent. (Since Saturday it’s first been snowing a lot and then thawing a lot, and I’ve not been back to the square this week, so not sure what’s left of the sculptures now!)

Anyway there were also fireworks to celebrate:

 

While waiting for the bus back home, I looked up into a perfectly clear, deep blue sky with a crescent moon, doing its best to compete with all the man-made lights:

Wishing you all a Happy St. Lucy’s Day on 13th December!
~ Monica ~

 

Monday 24 December 2012 – Christmas Eve

   Palestine

This is not the same Palestine bear as on the BB homepage, so I’m not sure exactly what the artist was thinking. But I like the general symbolism of doors and windows, and so I find this bear a suitable candidate for the last “window” of the Advent Calendar…

---

Israel

… is not represented in the Mini Bears exhibition. * But, since this is corner of the world both shared and debated, loved and fought over… here is a photo of an Israelian bear as well, borrowed from the Buddy Bears home page:

 

 

Map from http://www.unmultimedia.org/ February 2012

---

Luke 2:1-20

New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

^{14 ♫}Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.♫

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

This is the last “window” of the Advent Calendar.
I hope you have enjoyed the Buddy Bears.

If you did not find your country represented in my selection,
you can look it up at the United Buddy Bears homepage here.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

I wish you all a peaceful holiday,
open doors and open hearts

♥ ♥ ♥

 

 

25 December 2011 - Christmas Day

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.”
~ Theodore Roethke ~

The traditional Advent Calendar runs from 1-24 December,
and so did mine, here in the Picture Book. But since we are still in Christmas, I thought I’d throw in an extra greeting today.

In Sweden, we open our presents on Christmas Eve.
In many other countries, you open yours on Christmas Day.
Where ever you happen to be on the Earth and in your
Christmas traditions, I wish all you Bloglings out there:

>>> Merry Christmas ! <<<

 

This post will be linked to Shadow Shot Sunday (2).

Advent Calendar – Saturday 24th December 2011

♫ Silent Night, Holy Night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born. ♫ 

* * * Merry Christmas to you all! * * *

 

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Gospel of Luke, chapter 2 (New International Version)

Advent Calendar – Friday 23rd December 2011

“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~

 

Friday My Town Shoot Out  theme of the week is “Lights”.

Advent Calendar – Tuesday 20th December 2011

“Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.”
~James 1:17 ~

Advent Calendar – Monday 19th December 2011

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la la.
‘Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la la.

Sing along at YouTube!

Bye-Bye Christmas…

 

 

 

Mosaic Monday: Christmas Collage

See more Monday Mosaics at Mary’s Little Red House.

Christmas At Home

 

Friday My Town Shoot Out: Christmas Where I Live

  

Spending a peaceful Christmas at home this year
and really just glad not having planned to go anywhere!

We’re having a White Christmas all over Sweden this year.
In many places way over the “comfort zone”:
Trains and flights cancelled or delayed, and roads blocked by snow.

Even crossing the street as a pedestrian can be quite an adventure:

The worst weather situation for Christmas is reported from the south-east coast, with heavy snowfall and strong winds causing the snow to drift. Where I live (an hour or so inland from the west coast), we have so far been spared more snow falling down from above; but it’s very cold, with icy winds adding to the chill.

As I woke up in the morning of Christmas Eve, we had ~13,5°C. Checking again two hours later, I had expected the temperature to have gone up a degree or so. Instead I find that it’s gone down to –15°…

All in all, it looks more like a shut-in than a shoot-out kind of Christmas!

I hope you’re safe and comfortable this Christmas, where ever you are.

♥ ♥ ♥

 

Merry Christmas

Snowbound

 

 

I was snowbound again during the weekend, so had to amuse myself with taking pictures of indoor decorations. (This is my kitchen window.)

According to weather forecasts, the past weekend was just a practice round for Christmas. More snow to be expected Thursday and all through Christmas Eve.

Mosaic Monday: Snowy Christmas

Greetings from “Santaland”

Since I took these photos on 4th vs 12th December, it has just kept on snowing, so I took some help from Picnik to illustrate that… (You will probably notice that it’s snowing on the frames as well!) I guess it’s for weather like this that flying reindeer were invented, ho ho ho… Otherwise Santa would most likely find himself spending Christmas waiting in line at some European airport this year.

See more Monday Mosaics at Mary’s Little Red House.

And if you have to get out on the snowy roads – “be careful out there”!

* * *