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 Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:35 am
Soo.
Getting closer and closer to Christmas,
which most of us will celebrate like we have grown up doing,
which got me thinking about the little peculiar rituals or myths
might make your Christmas different to mine
or that random guy to the right.
Does your family have any wierd/unusual/fun/ Christmas ritual?
Do you even celebrate Christmas?
How is the ussualy Christmas celebrationg in your country?
My randon facts:
In Iceland, we celebrate Christmas or "Jólunum" on the eve of the 24th.
Most families eat dinner together at 6 and then open presents right after.
(The 25th is ussualy spend either trying to regain the ability too walk
after all that food, or visiting family)
Also our Santa Clause is very different.
First of all we it's the "Jólasveinar" Or Yulemen
That's right.
Plural.
We have 13 of them.
We're just that awesome.
cool
HISTORY TIMEEE!!!
The Yule Lads were originally portrayed as being mischievous,
or even criminals,
pranksters that would steal from, or in other way harass the population
(at the time mostly rural farmers. Poor poor farmers).
They all had descriptive names that descriped their criminal activity of choice, or oddness.
The Yule Lads are the sons of the mountain-dwelling trolls Grýla and Leppalúði.
Grýla, the lovely troll that she is
EATS naughty children.
Oh yes.
Comes down from the mountains with her sack and fills it with the naughties and takes it home and boils them.
She's ussualy said to have hooves.
Also.
The have a cat, the Yuletide Cat (Jólakötturinn), a beast that, according to folklore, EATS children that don't receive new clothes in time for Christmas.
We have lovely holiday stories =D
But yah. The Yulemen are portraite as nicer these days though,
serving kinda like Santa.
Except children put a shoe in the window sill
and they leave small gifts.
Also, because we have 13 of them
We get 13 gifts
xD
The first one comes to town and brings gifts on the 12th of December
and so it continues until the last on arrives on the 24th.
I find it awesome.
Their names and quirks are as follows:
(Yes. Stole this bit from Wikipedia since I'm to lazy too translate it myself!)
Stekkjastaur (Sheep-Cote Clod)
-Harasses sheep, but is impaired by his stiff peg-legs.
Arrives December 12
Giljagaur (Gully Gawk)
- Hides in gullies, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk.
Arrives December 13
Stúfur-Stubby
-Abnormally short. Steals pans to eat the crust left on them.
December 14
Þvörusleikir-Spoon-Licker
-Steals Þvörur (a type of a wooden spoon with a long handle - I. þvara) to lick. Is extremely thin due to malnutrition.
December 15
Pottaskefill -Pot-Scraper
-Steals leftovers from pots.
December 16
Askasleikir-Bowl-Licker
-Hides under beds waiting for someone to put down their 'askur' (a type of bowl with a lid used instead of dishes), which he then steals.
December 17
Hurðaskellir -Door-Slammer
Likes to slam doors, especially during the night.
December 18
Skyrgámur -Skyr-Gobbler
-A Yule Lad with an affinity for skyr. (Icelandic milk product. Its Yummers)
December 19
Bjúgnakrækir -Sausage-Swiper
-Would hide in the rafters and snatch sausages that were being smoked.
December 20
Gluggagægir -Window-Peeper
-A voyeur who would look through windows in search of things to steal. December 21
Gáttaþefur -Door-Sniffer
-Has an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate leafbread.
December 22
Ketkrókur -Meat-Hook
-Uses a hook to steal meat.
December 23
Kertasníkir -Candle-Beggar
-Follows children in order to steal their candles (which in those days was made of dripping and thus edible).
December 24
There were more, but most people don't remember them.
I remember they had a sister though,
whose name was "Leiðindaskjóða"
It's not a very positive name, indicates that she's annoying.
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:02 am
Awesome biggrin fascinating stuff smile Meh I don't think we have anything particularly interesting. Father Christmas brings presents (we don't really call him 'Santa' here.). You leave a carrot outside for Rudolph to eat *shrugs*. There is the big Christmas tradition of the pantomine though, which i think is a fairly british/english invention (or is it european too?) . The big loud semi-musical "kid's" plays that recreate fairy tales and often have one or two Z-list celebs in 'em. You ALWAYS have a 'dame' (who's a guy in ridiculous drag) in a panto, the male lead is usually played by a woman (esp in stuff like 'aladdin' or 'peter pan'), you have the usual exchanges that no panto could be without - Characters: "oh yes he did!"Audience: "oh no he didn't!"(argue like this for ages) and of course, when the bad guy turns up all the audience have to boo and hiss. When someone's snakeiang around they yell "He's behind you!" And the dame usually throws sweets to the audience. baiscally they're always brekaing the 'fourth wall' and it's all about audience participation, song, dance (even occasionally stunt or gymnastics) and cheeky/rude jokes for the parents Panto Lead character = a girl (esp in peter pan, d**k wittington etc) and a classic pantomine dame and some tricks (i think i once saw a peter pan one with gymnastic pirates)  soo...yup. dunno if that's a unique tradition but it's certainly an important one
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Moonlight_HuangHou Captain
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:21 am
I found that really interesting as well.
Does your family have any weird/unusual/fun/ Christmas ritual?
Well since my mom is the eldest on her side of the family her family comes over on Christmas Eve to spend and stay up all night long. We have a kind of family get together which is food and chatting. The kids play and hangout as well with adults or by ourselves. We keep our eyes on the clock mostly. When 12:00 hit's it's officially the next day and we would then go and open gifts which we'd pull from other the tree and give to whoevers name is written on it. My uncle would video tape/take pics of the event too. So taking turns everyone opens each gift for everyone to see and read the card then say thank you. In the end...we try our new stuff out and then go to bed. The next day we go over someone elses house. My mom's youngest brother this year. And celebrate Christmas together with chat and food again until late.
Do you even celebrate Christmas?
Yup! ^_^
How is the usually Christmas celebrating in your country?
Um...normally like that but not really? I think for typical Americans it's more of a ..'wake up and there are the gifts children!' kind of thing.
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:17 am
Wow, your christmas traditions are so fun! i feel that is how our santa should have started out too. I mean, a very robust man sneaking into a house? That had to have started bad.
I like the French santa, he is thin and tall and has a coat of MANY colors.
In my house you have to believe in santa. My grandpa once yelled at me about still believing in Santa and Grandma turned around and hit him and yelled at him saying that "of course there was a santa! If you don't believe in santa you don't get presents!"
A friend of mine has a cool tradition too, you leave your shoes outside each night in Dec. from the 12th to christmas and each night you get a gift in your shoe.
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:23 am
Maybe i'm just a very cynical person, but i have a feeling that's how a lot of people 'lose' a lot of shoes...lol
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:36 am
VampressLeona A friend of mine has a cool tradition too, you leave your shoes outside each night in Dec. from the 12th to christmas and each night you get a gift in your shoe. I did that for a while when I was little. But instead of outside I left outside my bedroom door.
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 9:40 am
@ DT- well....she lived out of the city a ways in a small community so I doubt hers were ever stolen.
@ Moon- See I never got to do that but I feel I should start razz get more gifts that way lol
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:17 am
VampressLeona ...Grandma turned around and hit him hehe...don't mess with grandmas!
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Moonlight_HuangHou Captain
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:54 pm
My family doesn't have any odd rituals I can think of.
Though since it's happened for the past couple years my friend and I have a tradition of hiding one of my mom's ornaments every year.
It's a specific one too.
It's this ballerina/godknowswhat ornament that is honestly pretty creepy when it's staring at you.
So every year, until last year, she'd put it in the front of the tree.
And every time my friend came over, we'd hide it in the back.
Except last year she gave up and put it on top of the fireplace instead since we didn't mind it there.
(Maybe if you're all good little boys and girls I'll take a picture later when it's actually out)
I do celebrate Christmas but I can't think of any weird, quirky things us Americans do for Christmas.
We've got Santa?
Your Icelandic traditions sound a lot more fun.
I would wish ours were that fun and weird.
But those stories of things coming to eat me would have scared me.
I was a dumb kid, afraid of everything.
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 4:03 pm
@zizzy: lol that's funny smile
Hmn.. fmaily wise i don't think we do much. It's always a tradition for leading upto xmas for us to try and fit in as many 'christmas carol' versions as possible. also we watch 'its a wonderful life' and the 'santa clause' films.
xmas isn't xmas without the 'Nat King Col Christmas Album' playing constnatly in the background. We decorate our tree upstairs then a few days before xmas we go downstairs to my grandad's house-but and decorate his massive tree and always argue about who's turn it is to put the star on the tree.
(we're a star household lol What are you? star or angel?)
My grandad's got a posh liadro nativity set we also set up in a home-made stable thing. we always take the donkey that live sin his living room for it too. on midnight xmas eve we stick jesus in his manger.
we have xas dinner with our fmailya nd a family friend and stuff ourselves and usually end up watching a stand up comedy dvd while we play with the presents.
love it biggrin
we have mor eof a tradition at new years really. it's the only time of the year me, my sister, mum and dad get out the posh wedding china and actually sit at the table to eat. then at night we watch the fireworks and watch the late-night countdown with Jools Holland
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:07 am
Oooh.
Some of those sound pretty damn fun.
Especialy that pantomine of your Dragontamer
Now that just sound nifty!
Zizzy:
Oh the wonders of creepy decorations
xD
I think every mom has one.
Mine has this little red demon ornament that goes on the tree every year.
Yes.
We have a creepy grinning satanic christmas tree ornament.
Sentimental value.
Mom got it from her grandma appearantly.
Me and my sibling have a little 'fight' occasionaly over who gets it when the parental units pass away.
I intend it to be mine!!
And yes.
Alot of things eating little children.
It's pretty much dark the whole day here in the winter, the sun only lasts about 3 hours during that time so I guess when in the old days
when people couldnt really do much due to lack of light
there wasnt much do too except make up stories about things eating those darn brats that wont quiet down.
Seriously.
You should hear the amount of ghost stories and folk legends
xD
Truly impressive for such a small place.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:30 am
dragontamer363 we have mor eof a tradition at new years really. it's the only time of the year me, my sister, mum and dad get out the posh wedding china and actually sit at the table to eat. then at night we watch the fireworks and watch the late-night countdown with Jools Holland
Sounds nice :]
New years at my place is very simular.
Break out the fancy dishes,
eat the turkey, pop out the alcohol and watch the fireworks.
Also after that we tend to watch "Indenpendence Day"
I have no idea why though.
The last 2 new years have been slightly different, since instead of celebrating it at home in Iceland, I've gone too Sweden to visit my family
and since my brother's wife is not from Danish, we changed our holiday ways to fit hers in as well.
SOoo now we eat the turkey and the duck and the delicious pork thing they do, then the alcohol
then we watch this HILARIOUS little B&W short movie that appearantly playes every New Years in Sweden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8xPhU5132I
Then there is firework (patheticly little of it though D= )
And then there is more alcohol and the going of outside to party a bit.
But seriously.
I miss new years in Iceland
since we are fireworks crazy
Everyone and their grandma light up a dosen of them
so for a few hours it's constant fireworks
(that ussualy starts the day before new years)
Tourist are ussualy deeply impressed/terrified about how much
we blow up xD
Sweden however?
Avarage.
D=
It's highly dissapointing since I love the smell and fog
that always follows excessive fireworks
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:57 am
dragontamer363 @zizzy: lol that's funny smile Hmn.. fmaily wise i don't think we do much. It's always a tradition for leading upto xmas for us to try and fit in as many 'christmas carol' versions as possible. also we watch 'its a wonderful life' and the 'santa clause' films. xmas isn't xmas without the 'Nat King Col Christmas Album' playing constnatly in the background. We decorate our tree upstairs then a few days before xmas we go downstairs to my grandad's house-but and decorate his massive tree and always argue about who's turn it is to put the star on the tree. (we're a star household lol What are you? star or angel?) Heh, with my family its the Goonies, and the old claymation christmas movies. And my grandma HAS to be playing Elvis Presley Christmas carols. I try to avoid the movie 'a christmas story' like the devil. Cant stand that movie. Ive seen it prolly more than I care to remember and I just dont find it all that entertaining. I much prefer, to my father's delight, National Lampoon's Christmas
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