Month: January 2025

A snowy MONDAY here on the Shore

Today is ‘Epiphany’, a major Christian celebration. It is always celebrated on 6 January and commemorates the presentation of the infant Jesus to the Magi, or three wise men. In some countries, it may be known as ‘Three Kings Day’.

The celebration of the Epiphany began in the Eastern Church and included a celebration of Christ’s birth. However, by the 4th century AD, the various calendar reforms had moved the birth of Christ to 25 December and the church in Rome began celebrating 6 January as Epiphany. Armenian Christians still celebrate the birth of Christ on 6 January.

In Italy, January 6th is also known as La Befana. In Italian folklore, Befana is an old soot-covered woman or witch who delivers presents to Italian children on the night before La Befana (Epiphany Eve). The story goes that on their way to see the infant Jesus, the Magi stopped to ask Befana for directions and asked her to join them. She initially refused, but later had a change of heart and tried to find the manger. She was unable to find the baby Jesus and gave the gifts she had brought to other children. To this day, she travels on her broomstick every year on January 5th looking in vain for the manger and giving her presents to any Italian child who leaves out a shoe or hangs up a stocking on Epiphany Eve. This legend arose in the 13th century and for a long time La Befana was a tradition confined to Rome and the surrounding regions, but this festival has become popular across all of Italy in the last hundred years.

It wouldn’t be a proper Italian festival without an excuse to bake some yummy food and La Befana is no exception. Special treats on La Befana include sweet coal, small cookies called befanini and Befana cake – a cake with a large dried bean inside. Whoever gets the bean in their slice is king (or queen) for the day.

All this focus on La Befana doesn’t mean that there aren’t also traditional Epiphany events. For instance, there is the Cavalcade of the Magi in Florence, in which some 700 people decked out in Renaissance costumes ride on horseback through the historic city center. The Cavalcade of the Magi dates back to the 15th century when it was first organized by the Medici family which ruled Florence during the Renaissance, according to the city’s website.


Fun with Googly Eyes!!!!



More cats…even in famous paintings!


Lego sets are getting too realistic!

Today is the birthday, in 1935, of American musician, singer, and actor Nino Tempo. With his sister, April Stevens, he had the 1963 US No.1 ‘Deep Purple’. The song won the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Rock And Roll Recording, selling more than one million copies and earning a gold disc. As a child actor, he appeared in The Glenn Miller Story featuring James Stewart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGDbXEk9USE

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WINTER!!

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!

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FRIDAY (finally)

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

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First THURSDAY of the year!

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.


A perfect metaphor for the coming year…


Happy New Year to everyone – have fun!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hlvRNgGOQ

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