Category Archives: Holidays and Festivals

Happy Losar

Posted on February 10, 2013 by

Monday, February 11, marks Losar, the Tibetan New Year, and the start of 2140, the Year of the Water Snake.  The new year festivities begin with prayers and good wishes for family, friends, and all sentient beings.  Tibetans believe that Shakyamuni … Continue reading →

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Posted in Buddhism, Holidays and Festivals, Tibet | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

On New Year’s Resolutions…

Posted on January 2, 2013 by

Gotta love this, even if some of the filmmakers have way too much time on their hands… Much better than the Jingle Cats, don’t you think?

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Posted in Animals, Holidays and Festivals, humor | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Dylan Thomas reading, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”

Posted on December 25, 2012 by

Here is the poet himself, reading one of my all time favorite pieces of Christmas writing.  Enjoy! “One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant … Continue reading →

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Posted in Authors, Holidays and Festivals, Poetry | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Princess Mary box and the Christmas Truce

Posted on December 24, 2012 by

When I was between the ages of 15 and 17, my family lived in France. One day in the flea markets outside Paris, I found a little brass box that bore my initials, MM, as well as a woman’s head … Continue reading →

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Posted in History, Holidays and Festivals | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Yule Lads: Icelandic Christmas folklore.

Posted on December 10, 2012 by

Christmas was slower to catch on than other major church holidays.  The clergy may have been wary of pagan solstice celebrations which happened at the same time of year and included serious revelry.  Some early Christmas festivities mimicked the custom. … Continue reading →

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Posted in art, Authors, Book Reviews, Books, Folklore, Holidays and Festivals, Imagination, oral tradition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All quiet on the holiday front

Posted on November 26, 2012 by

The chief of security at one of the largest area malls reported that this year’s Black Friday was the smoothest in 13 years.  He didn’t speculate on why that was true, so here’s a poll.  Pick whichever explanation(s) seem most … Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture, Current Events, Holidays and Festivals | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments