Weblog 150
December 21, 2008~ 12:00am
Christmas traditions around the world have always fascinated me. Last year on this blog, I shared the Italian witch 'La Befana', an ugly crone who goes door to door, distributing treats. This year, I discovered the wickedly wonderful "KRAMPUS"- (from the High German word, 'krampen' for claw..lol) - and this fella' is anything but 'benign'....
cute, isn't he? This image is from a vintage postcard. (Yes, folks really did send 'Krampus' greetings to one another.) According to Wikipedia-
Krampus traditions can be found in Austria and most of the Central European countries. (Those folks were serious about keeping their children in line. They also gave us the good old 'Brothers Grimm' fairytales, rife with punishment and lessons hard-learned.)
Just look at that turn of the century child, bedded down for the night and looking mighty apprehensive about her chained 'Krampus doll'. (Forget 'visions of sugarplums'.....this kid will sleep with ONE EYE OPEN.)
From the time I was a tyke, here in the U.S. we were told that 'elves' were watching and making sure our behavior was stellar, and reporting back to the red-suited fat man just which of us had been naughty or nice--- and the worst that could happen ---a lump of coal. Not a punishing willow switch...
not being thrown in a sack, and in some stories, thrown into the RIVER. LOL!!! O, those merry Germanic folk. What corkers they are. "Be good or else, wee ones! Krampus gonna gitcha!" For those of you whose curiosity has now been pricked by this, there's a website devoted to everything Krampus. G'wan...have a look. My stars, how strange cultures are. And interesting. And sometimes, just goofy enough to delight me. :)
December 23, 2008~ 12:00pm
'Nuther good one. This attached to an email made me smile all morning....poor Frosty
...... 
...just tryin' to put his face on for the holidays. LOL!!! Thank God for laughter.
December 24, 2008~ 5:00am
It's here! (And wasn't it just the 4th of July?) Half day of work (I hope) today-- then home to wrap a few gifts, dinner out at "Wright's Seafood Inn"- and tomorrow with Bill and Kay and the whole family at my daughter's mother-in-law's house, then a trip to see my sister and her growing brood, to distribute small gifts and exchange cheer. And FOUR DAYS OFF in a row! And none of the awful weather that was predicted, just rain today after the threat of freezing rain yesterday, and in the 50's for Christmas Day. The world stands on its head once a year, and we snap its picture, make the appropriate ooo's and ahh's, hug one another and sing and eat. LOL!! That's my take on the holiday. Hope yours is merry, warm and relaxing. xoxox
December 26, 2008~ 12:00am
Santa brought a strange gift.....no hot water! Yes, late Christmas Eve night, my old hot water tank that I've written about in this blog before, decided to do a real Scrooge and give up its ghost at 12:00 midnight. LOL!! It was a FREEZING cold bath for Christmas morning. Couldn't sit in it (much too punishing) but I knelt and scrubbed, teeth chattering, saying, "The saints did things like this! I can do this..."- yes, weirdo that I am, the old Catholic habits come back when adversity brings misery. (I am now waiting for Mr. WaterHeater to call me back and give me a time for today's installation of a new tank.) I'm sipping coffee and reading the news online.
And oh! I was saddened to hear of the death of Eartha Kitt on Christmas day...
Miss "Santa Baby" herself, whose novelty Christmas song is played over and over at this time of year. There she is just two years ago at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, which would have made her 79 at the time! What an icon-- with tremendous staying power and discipline. It's ironic and somehow fitting that she died on December 25th. We will miss the kittenish, gravely growwwwl and purr of one of the most recognizable voices in our collective cultural memory. Goodbye to the woman that Orson Welles once described as 'the most exciting woman in the world'. I still remember her courage in speaking out against the war in Vietnam. She was one formidable lady. Rest well, Cat Woman. Sweet dreams.
***
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Christmas traditions around the world have always fascinated me. Last year on this blog, I shared the Italian witch 'La Befana', an ugly crone who goes door to door, distributing treats. This year, I discovered the wickedly wonderful "KRAMPUS"- (from the High German word, 'krampen' for claw..lol) - and this fella' is anything but 'benign'....
cute, isn't he? This image is from a vintage postcard. (Yes, folks really did send 'Krampus' greetings to one another.) According to Wikipedia-
"In the Alpine regions the Krampus is represented by an incubus in company of Saint Nicholas.
Krampus is described as a devil, wearing chains around his neck, ankles and wrists, and wearing a cloth sack around his waist. As a part of a tradition, when a child receives a gift from St. Nicolas he is given a golden branch to represent his/hers good deeds throughout the year; however, if the child has misbehaved, Krampus will take the gifts for himself and leave only a silver branch to represent the child's bad acts. Children are commonly scared into sleeping during the time St. Nicolas brings gifts by being told that if they are awake, Krampus will think they have been bad, and will take them away in his sack."
Krampus traditions can be found in Austria and most of the Central European countries. (Those folks were serious about keeping their children in line. They also gave us the good old 'Brothers Grimm' fairytales, rife with punishment and lessons hard-learned.)
Just look at that turn of the century child, bedded down for the night and looking mighty apprehensive about her chained 'Krampus doll'. (Forget 'visions of sugarplums'.....this kid will sleep with ONE EYE OPEN.)
From the time I was a tyke, here in the U.S. we were told that 'elves' were watching and making sure our behavior was stellar, and reporting back to the red-suited fat man just which of us had been naughty or nice--- and the worst that could happen ---a lump of coal. Not a punishing willow switch...
not being thrown in a sack, and in some stories, thrown into the RIVER. LOL!!! O, those merry Germanic folk. What corkers they are. "Be good or else, wee ones! Krampus gonna gitcha!" For those of you whose curiosity has now been pricked by this, there's a website devoted to everything Krampus. G'wan...have a look. My stars, how strange cultures are. And interesting. And sometimes, just goofy enough to delight me. :)
December 23, 2008~ 12:00pm
'Nuther good one. This attached to an email made me smile all morning....poor Frosty
...just tryin' to put his face on for the holidays. LOL!!! Thank God for laughter.
December 24, 2008~ 5:00am
It's here! (And wasn't it just the 4th of July?) Half day of work (I hope) today-- then home to wrap a few gifts, dinner out at "Wright's Seafood Inn"- and tomorrow with Bill and Kay and the whole family at my daughter's mother-in-law's house, then a trip to see my sister and her growing brood, to distribute small gifts and exchange cheer. And FOUR DAYS OFF in a row! And none of the awful weather that was predicted, just rain today after the threat of freezing rain yesterday, and in the 50's for Christmas Day. The world stands on its head once a year, and we snap its picture, make the appropriate ooo's and ahh's, hug one another and sing and eat. LOL!! That's my take on the holiday. Hope yours is merry, warm and relaxing. xoxox
December 26, 2008~ 12:00am
Santa brought a strange gift.....no hot water! Yes, late Christmas Eve night, my old hot water tank that I've written about in this blog before, decided to do a real Scrooge and give up its ghost at 12:00 midnight. LOL!! It was a FREEZING cold bath for Christmas morning. Couldn't sit in it (much too punishing) but I knelt and scrubbed, teeth chattering, saying, "The saints did things like this! I can do this..."- yes, weirdo that I am, the old Catholic habits come back when adversity brings misery. (I am now waiting for Mr. WaterHeater to call me back and give me a time for today's installation of a new tank.) I'm sipping coffee and reading the news online.
And oh! I was saddened to hear of the death of Eartha Kitt on Christmas day...
Miss "Santa Baby" herself, whose novelty Christmas song is played over and over at this time of year. There she is just two years ago at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, which would have made her 79 at the time! What an icon-- with tremendous staying power and discipline. It's ironic and somehow fitting that she died on December 25th. We will miss the kittenish, gravely growwwwl and purr of one of the most recognizable voices in our collective cultural memory. Goodbye to the woman that Orson Welles once described as 'the most exciting woman in the world'. I still remember her courage in speaking out against the war in Vietnam. She was one formidable lady. Rest well, Cat Woman. Sweet dreams.
(Return To Weekly Archives)
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