It’s freezing cold outside and there’s snow on the ground – must be winter. So here are some fun dancevideos to warm us all up! You’re welcome to dance along!
That was fun! How about a little swing??
From the hills of…Ireland!
And from NEW YORK CITY!
Even old-time movie stars are dancing!!
Fred and Rita!
So, everyone…Keep on Dancing!
Losoong (Namsoong) is a series of public holidays in the Indian state of Sikkim. It begins on the first day of the10th month of Tibetan Lunar Calendar – the new moon of the “Kurneet Lovo”, according to Dungkit Karchu (Lepcha Calendar). This means it usually falls in December in the western calendar.
Sonam Losoong (Farmers’ Harvest) is a New Year celebration of the Sikkimese Bhutia. It is called Namsoong by the Lepchas. The festival marks the time when the farmers rejoice and celebrate their harvest. Although the festival is celebrated privately among family members and friends there is an air of festivity all around. The Black Hat dance takes place at this festival commemorating the victory of good over evil, with ‘chaams’ held in many monasteries two days prior to Losoong.
The festival of Lossong is celebrated with traditional gaiety and colour both by the Lepchas and Bhutias. On the occasion pujas are performed for peace and prosperity for the new year. Certain competitions are also held in traditional skills, such as archery and the merry-making will continue for days.
Today is the birthday, in 1945, of American singer, songwriter Stephen Stills who was a member of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and Manassas. With CS&N he had the 1969 UK No.17 single ‘Marrakesh Express’ and the 1970 US No.1 album Deja Vu plus the 1971 solo UK No.37 single ‘Love The One Your With.’ Stills’s first solo album, Stephen Stills, (1970) went gold and is the only album to feature both Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj8FlXGPcOQ
Today is Berchtold’s Day. This day is a public holiday in the following Swiss cantons: Aargau, Bern, Fribourg, Glarus, Jura, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Obwalden, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, Thurgau, Vaud, Zug, and Zurich.
Berchtold’s Day commemorates Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen (d. 1218), who founded Bern, the capital of Switzerland, in the twelfth century. According to legend, he left on a hunt declaring he would name his fledgling city after the first animal he killed. The hunting trip was a success and the Duke managed to kill a bear, or bern in German.
Despite many references to the day as St. Berchtold’s day, he wasn’t a saint (certainly not to bears anyway). We are just so used to holidays in Europe being named after saints, that many people have automatically canonized the Duke.
Handily placed in the calendar, by the ever-practical Swiss, to give an extra day to enjoy or recover from the New Year’s celebrations, Berchtold’s Day is a light-hearted, family-oriented celebration.
Imagine going back in time and trying to explain this…
A perfect metaphor for the coming year…
NINJA CATS ARE WATCHING YOU!!!
Happy New Year to everyone – have fun!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hlvRNgGOQ
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