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Topic: The Holiday Greetings Thread (Read 26880 times)

The Holiday Greetings Thread

In this thread, post the greetings as per your personal mood, local time zone, and official calendar, to reflect the festive spirit :D

Today: Χριστός ἀνέστη

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #1
חַג שָׂמֵחַ

Also, hægl Ēastre!

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #2
Today:
С днём международной солидарности трудящихся!!!

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #3
God valborg!






Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #9
Another day, another national day.


Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #11
This weekend it's time for it again http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer_Night#Estonia
Quote from: Wikipedia
"Jaanipäev" ("John's Day" in English) was celebrated long before the arrival of Christianity in Estonia, although the day was given its name by the crusaders. The arrival of Christianity, however, did not end pagan beliefs and fertility rituals surrounding this holiday. In 1578, Balthasar Russow wrote in his Livonian Chronicle about Estonians who placed more importance on the festival than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting bonfires, drinking, dancing, singing and following pagan rituals.

I won't mention all the grossest things that are going to happen as part of the celebration. I simply say that I post this now because I will have no strength to post anything when the celebration is in process. And maybe for a few days after it.

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #12
For Sweden we have a sanitised video.

Midsommar in Sweden

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #13
In Russia and (probably most) ex-USSR countries, September 1st is the start of schoolyear for kids. An important day for kids and parents, i.e. the bulk of the population.

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #14
Today October 1 is national day in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. In fact, it is the second biggest holiday with the whole week off for most, and like other holidays it's celebrated primarily with shopping.

The day marks the founding of the People's Republic of China at Tiananmen square, Beijing 65 years ago.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJcol3SJ6ww[/video]

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #15
Today 11/11 is Singles' Day or Internet shopping day (and this minute 11:11 PM).


Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #17
Carnival, huh? That's not part of St. Marten. :P

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #18
Independence day of Finland :)

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Reply #19


Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #20

Independence day of Finland :)

Neighbouring countries that are not hostile are expected to congratulate each other on independence/national days. Russian president forgot it this time. Russian ambassador in Finland showed up for drinks though in Helsinki Presidential Palace.

 

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #21
[video]http://youtu.be/IgxZS4mWSrw[/video]

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #22
Did you post that on My Opera one or two years ago? :P

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #23
Which one of the three? Not this Lucia video, it cropped up on my Twitter feed, I just passed it on (if it hadn't been for Twitter I probably wouldn't have kept track of those local holidays). I did once post a quip about candle-scorched hair though.

In the last couple years feminism has finally caught up with the Lucia celebration. While not on the level of controversy of the Dutch black-face tradition, the question has been: why should the Lucia have to be a girl, why can't it be a boy?

Swedish schoolboy in female saint role row
Quote
Staff at the Ödeshög primary school broke with tradition when selecting this year's Lucia (or Saint Lucy as she is known in English).

Instead of the usual voting process they put the names of all the interested parties into a hat and selected the winning candidate in a lottery.

Among the names were three boys and when the new Lucia was announced it turned out to be one of the trio. The school said the random selection was done in the interests of democracy and equality.

But traditionalists weren't too impressed. Usually Lucia is portrayed by a girl, who sports candles on her head to represent Saint Lucia.

"Pretty soon it became sweaty. Outraged emails and text messages came flooding in. Almost all were negative, some were clear personal attacks," said school teacher Anna Wissman to local newspaper Corren.

The reaction in the classroom was rather different with most of the boy's classmates supporting the gesture, although not all their parents agreed with the plan.

"Some people think it was a ploy to choose a boy to play Lucia. But we followed the teaching plan. We're supposed to teach equality and democracy," added Wissman.

Some protestors contacted the school's headmaster to explain their anger.

As well as being unhappy that a boy was representing the saint, many were hacked off that ceremony was being moved from a church to the school gymnasium instead.

The school is standing by its decision and has invited the town's official Lucia, who is female, to the school to take part in the ceremony.

In a compromise gesture, the boy will lead the procession for the pupils' parents in the morning while the official Lucia will take over in the afternoon.

Re: The Holiday Greetings Thread

Reply #24
Which one of the three? Not this Lucia video, it cropped up on my Twitter feed, I just passed it on (if it hadn't been for Twitter I probably wouldn't have kept track of those local holidays). I did once post a quip about candle-scorched hair though.

Three? Anyway, I must be confused with a different Swedish holiday. Or maybe my Romanian friend who lives in Sweden passed it on to me in the past.