Thorn Wilde

Yeah, we celebrate Julian calendar Christmas as well. Cause my mum's Orthodox (I technically am too, but only on paper these days; since religious congregations and things in Norway receive funding based on member count I figure our tiny church can get mine instead of it being wasted on nothing), and her church is under Constantinople which still uses the Julian calendar for holidays. So we do Christmas twice. The first one with pork rib and presents, the second with ham and religion, I guess. Precious little religion during first Christmas, as my stepdad's an atheist. She takes a break from Christmas fast for a few days for 'regular' Christmas. Morning, DiC! Hope you all enjoyed Christmas Day, and that today is peaceful and pleasant. I decided to stay home from lunch at Mum's. I don't feel very well. I'm on some way strong antibiotics right now, and it's wreaking havoc on, well, everything. So I'm enjoying the peace and quiet before my flatmate and her puppy get home this evening and the house inevitably gets noisy again...

She's in my thoughts. Hoping the procedure goes well! ❤️

Now it is bedtime. Going back to Mum's for lunch tomorrow. Goodnight, everyone! And Merry Christmas! ❤️

We bring the tree in on the 22nd, and decorate it on the 23rd. Leave it up until a couple weeks into January, really. There's a Scandinavian tradition of 20 days of Christmas, as opposed to the 12 you normally hear about. And I can't stand Christmas music before December, lol! And even then my Christmas playlist consists mostly of the obscure, plus a bit of Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald and the like.

Geralt climbed the ladders up to the observation platform by Lobinden. As ever, Cedric stood at the edge, observing the forest, bow at his side. Geralt approached him. Cedric spoke before Geralt had even reached him, his hunter’s ears no doubt recognising the sound of his gait. ‘Did you find your rose of remembrance, Gwynbleidd?’ Geralt nodded, stepping up next to him. ‘Yeah. Gave it to Triss.’ The elf smiled sadly. ‘The legend says if you give the rose to someone you love, it will n

There's a very natural explanation for traditions with fish on Christmas Eve. In the old days, you'd have a Christmas fast, much like lent, where you wouldn't eat meat, only fish. Christmas Eve was the last day of the Christmas fast, with Christmas Day breaking it. So people would eat fish on Christmas Eve. For Orthodox Christians this is still the case. Most Catholics have long since stopped observing it, but traditions remain.

I can only imagine. That sounds amazing, though, the bit with the pasta and everything! Yum! ❤️ We do this baked swede mash, only it has some more things like egg in it, when we celebrate in Finland. Then we have ham, which is traditional there, and eat it on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is fish, usually Lutefisk (which is a lot less gross than people say it is assuming it's actually prepared right). But in Norway we eat the big dinner on Christmas Eve. Then we have leftovers and other tasty stuff for Christmas Day brunch.

Happy Birthday, tim!! Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Oh! This is such a golden opportunity to ask about Christmas traditions! What do your families eat for Christmas dinner? When do you decorate the Christmas tree (if you have one)? Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? We can compare notes! We eat roast pork rib. Slow cooked, put in the oven in the morning. Then turn the grill on to get crackling at the end. Served with potatoes, various kinds of pickles, red sour cabbage (it's kind of like sauerkraut, but the seasoning's different), mustard, rowanberry jelly. No gravy, just let the fat melt off the rib while cooking it into the cooking tray that has water in it, and pour that over the potatoes. Christmas is not supposed to be healthy. Dessert is vanilla ice cream with cloudberry jam.

I blame my mum. She's the biggest nerd. The nerd to trump all nerds. Taught me everything I know. Including the bit about yule.

Merry Christmas! Fun fact: The Pagan yule (or jól) as celebrated by the Norse, actually took place in January (around the 13th or 14th), once the sun had begun to visibly return, rather than around the solstice when it was darkest. They sacrificed to the gods as thanks rather than as prayer. Legend goes a Christian Norwegian king low key moved it to around Christmas time, before he 'came out' as a Christian, so he could appropriate it for Christmas later. Another theory is that most people didn't much care, and that when the Norse were Christianised, people just called it jól because it took place at roughly the same time of year. Okay, I'm a nerd, lecture over.

Happy Christmas Morning! From my Christmas playlist:

He is. Though the way you’re plugging him I’m starting to wonder if you’re his uncle or something.

Maybe he got sick of Oscar Stembridge.

Well put, I think. I don't often quote the Bible, but what you said reminded me of this:

No, I never followed. Trying to keep my notifications at a minimum. I just check in when I see someone's posted.

OMG, @Backwoods Boy! I picked up that book at a flea market for shits and giggles a while back. It's hilarious, but also kind of amazing...

Good morning, and Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you all enjoy this day. And Happy Birthday, @Mikiesboy! All the love from me to you!

Sleepy times. Night, everyone. Merry Christmas! ❤️

Sad I had to return them, really... wish they were mine.

Very true. And so many people don't want to. All the more reason to talk about it, though. And this is (part of the reason) why you're a wonderful human being. Thank you! ❤️ I try to live by that. For the past few weeks the idea of putting on a dress or wearing make-up has not appealed to me at all... At my choir's Christmas concerts, we were meant to wear red lipstick and gold jewellery. I just decided not to. Cause it didn't feel right. But I have some really gorgeous dresses, and a lot of cool make-up that I mostly use when I perform, and one of these days I'll want to put those on again, and I will.

I know, it looks like snake skin. But it's fish. Tasty, tasty fish.

I didn't listen to the song, but that's just the creepiest title ever.

Hope everyone's enjoying Christmas Eve! I've gotten into bed. Gonna write a bit before sleeps, I think. Oh! And I've got to show you guys the awesome cufflinks my stepdad lent me. They're made by a designer from the north of Norway, from tanned salmon skin! Apparently it gets super strong and durable if you treat it the right way. Who knew? Salmon skin!

Christmas dinner has been eaten. I am so full. We’ve had ice cream too. Now there’s a Christmas concert on TV, and we’re about to start opening presents. Just making some tea and coffee first.