Lots been happening here and I'm currently seriously struggling, but things wont wait for me. Very best wishes and healing hopes to all those needing them, especially @Bimblesalong @RainbowZebraWarrior @piscofrisco
There is no tree 'till after the 13th here, and after that we have an odd old tradition that has to have taken place before any decoration can if you don't want to invite terrible things to your door..
As always thanks so much for lovely photos and chat. I have a bit of a backlog of pics to post.
@IngenTing Those are absolutely wonderful pics!
Am quite far behind on the thread (though have been dipping in and out) and a chunk behind with the book and have had to jump a section for now, but may get a chance to catch up today, so it may get a bit random!
We don't have Santa, but do celebrate St Nikclaus or Myra Nikali and what he stood for. Nowadays he's sometimes referred to as Santi Nik Claus to smaller children. As a young child there where shoe cupboards or boxes outside the door, and shoes and boots stayed outside.
I knew the stories of the three virtuous daughters facing ruin for the lack of a dowry, and how Nikali placed a purse of gold into the shoes of the first two when they came of age, but with the youngest one, the father tried to catch the benefactor on the night before her birthday, so Nikali didn't go to the door and threw the purse down the stove ventilation pipe instead, and it landed in one of the stockings the youngest had hung overnight above the stove to dry. (further tales of the burned out toes as a result of the unexpected weight)
All these and many other traditions ended abruptly when I was a child, but I carried them with me, and revived them for my children as best as I could.
So you either leave your shoes at the door, or a stocking hung at the fire/ stove or even on a radiator.
If you have been good enough, you can expect to find in them a treat of three gold or silver wrapped balls on a T bar. Traditionally they would have been either gingerbread, acorn brittle, or spiced cake, but that's often substituted with gold wrapped chocolate balls nowadays.
Traditionally shiny coins, now taken over by chocolate coins, a soft acorn-gingerbread figure or animal, or harder acorn-gingerbread panels to build a church, and things to decorate it with. A small toy or desirable item, and usually some coal or sticks as you wont always have been good!
Nowadays the coal and sticks are replaced with black honeycomb and pastry or bread sticks for generally good children, but an excess of them serves as a warning that the real stuff might appear at this rate!
A child who has been bad would find coal and wood. Once it's gone to the fire to provide heat or cooking fuel, the clock resets.
A child who's really pushed the boat out may find a whole Yule log! (There's another festival on the 13th that can offset it.)
After shoes or stockings are investigated, we have either a special bread or hot fried polenta slices. Some people have both. Twas hot fried polenta this year.
The religious would take part in a coin toss at church, we make a food bank or shelter donation as part of the day.
Traditionally dinner's a semi circular sealed wrap (represents the purse) containing pork, apples, and mustard. It's served with red cabbage apple and sultanas, soft polenta, and acorn ginger roasted veg. We're veggie so the pork is replaced with truffle fried seitan, apple, and mustard seeds, and there's a a dusting of chipotle with the acorn and ginger on the potatoes.
Stories are told and debated, family mythology gets rehashed. It isn't a fancy presentation meal, but the contents and company matter.