Something fun

[Willow]

I don't know if you all would think this is fun... but I've been considering all the archaic language in christmas carols and having great fun at discovering and rediscovering the meaning of the language. And wondering things like... where did all the chestnuts go? What is figgy pudding and why does everyone want it so badly? Why is caroling called wassailing and what is wassail? Why do I want anyone's yuletid to be gay? And certainly the thought of "don we all our gay apparel" has taken on a new meaning in modern times! Why... I even read a portion referring to the yule log as a faggot!

[Hope 98]

The only thing I can answer off the top of my head, assuming whatever source I got that answer from was accurate, is that wassail is a hot drink with spices and alcohol (beer or ale) that was given to people who came to your door singing Christmas songs. At least according to some tradition of many years ago.

We used to sing the song that started "Here we come a wassailing" as "Here we come a waffling" and ended the song with "May God send you a waffle with your beer". I don't remember how we mangled the lyrics between, but we laughed a lot :)

[ex-shep]

I got myself in trouble with building manager. She sent out an email saying that we would be closed on Isaac Newton's birthday after all. I asked if that could mean we were free to roast chestnuts on a open fire. OK, I will not quit my day job.

[JaniceB]

where did all the chestnuts go?

They're rotting on the sidewalks outside my office building.:)

[Jerry]

During the reign of "Nero" Christians were forced to carry bundles of dry sticks into the coliseum to be used as fuel for burning them alive........

These bundles of dry sticks were called,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Fagots"

[Willow]

They're rotting on the sidewalks outside my office building.:)

Dang... I want to roast some!!!! They cost $6.99/lb to buy them raw off the internet from Italy! I did find out that the American Chestnut tree was eliminated in the early 1900s by a blight. They still grow, but can't mature. The fungus gets in their branches and kills them back to a stump again before they can produce nuts. Isn't that depressing? So much for roasting chestnuts on an open fire!

[Willow]

Here's another one.... "Bells on bobtails".
I had to look that one up too!

Does anyone know who Parson Brown is? Turns out he was a famous orange farmer in florida! HAHA

[Janice]

Here's another one.... "Bells on bobtails".
I had to look that one up too!

Does anyone know who Parson Brown is? Turns out he was a famous orange farmer in florida! HAHA


LOL..I thought he was a pastor somewhere. That's what I thought a "parson" was. :D

[Janice]

Dang... I want to roast some!!!! They cost $6.99/lb to buy them raw off the internet from Italy! I did find out that the American Chestnut tree was eliminated in the early 1900s by a blight. They still grow, but can't mature. The fungus gets in their branches and kills them back to a stump again before they can produce nuts. Isn't that depressing? So much for roasting chestnuts on an open fire!

They have them in my local grocery store. Can't remember the price though. I'll send you some if you want. :)

[Willow]

well... yeh... I think he was a pastor too.
Nah... I don't want chestnuts that badly. I just wish they were laying around on the ground here like walnuts are.

[Anna Marta]

Last time I had roasted chestnuts was when I bought them from a vendor who was roasting them in his cart on the street in New York City.

Chestnuts are really good prepared together with carrotts in a brown sugar glaze. Sinfully delicious!!!

Figgy pudding is a dessert served in the UK. It is a steamed pudding that most Americans probably would not consider that wonderful.

Wassail is a hot beverage as mentioned earlier. Wassialing is an English tradition. The drink is called glogg in Norway. It is sweet, warm and really if good if you like spiced warm drinks. We serve it when visitors come as a welcome drink. There is a table with a big ceramic punch bowl sitting over a warming candle surrounded with mugs with little spoons in them. There are also small bowls of chopped almonds and raisins whicn you can add to the drink if you wish, the spoons allow you to eat them when you finish your drink. I love this stuff!!! It can be made with or without alcoholic beverage.

Funny enough, most of this stuff seems to originate in England (I would think in Dickensian times)
AM

[Anna Marta]

Speaking of archaic traditions, I just found a new one that is a bit of a shocker. Has anyone else heard of "Black Pete" a figure in Christmas tradition in the Netherlands? No wonder they are trying to tone this down... I read the article today as a link from WND - have written the URL below.

www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,594674,00.html

AM

[Janice]

Speaking of archaic traditions, I just found a new one that is a bit of a shocker. Has anyone else heard of "Black Pete" a figure in Christmas tradition in the Netherlands? No wonder they are trying to tone this down... I read the article today as a link from WND - have written the URL below.

www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,594674,00.html

AM

Never heard of him. WOW! I think I'll stick with coal!

[Willow]

Last time I had roasted chestnuts was when I bought them from a vendor who was roasting them in his cart on the street in New York City.

Chestnuts are really good prepared together with carrotts in a brown sugar glaze. Sinfully delicious!!!

Figgy pudding is a dessert served in the UK. It is a steamed pudding that most Americans probably would not consider that wonderful.

Wassail is a hot beverage as mentioned earlier. Wassialing is an English tradition. The drink is called glogg in Norway. It is sweet, warm and really if good if you like spiced warm drinks. We serve it when visitors come as a welcome drink. There is a table with a big ceramic punch bowl sitting over a warming candle surrounded with mugs with little spoons in them. There are also small bowls of chopped almonds and raisins whicn you can add to the drink if you wish, the spoons allow you to eat them when you finish your drink. I love this stuff!!! It can be made with or without alcoholic beverage.

Funny enough, most of this stuff seems to originate in England (I would think in Dickensian times)
AM

YUMMMMM ! Especially to the Wassail!!! I would sing for some of that too!

[Willow]

Speaking of archaic traditions, I just found a new one that is a bit of a shocker. Has anyone else heard of "Black Pete" a figure in Christmas tradition in the Netherlands? No wonder they are trying to tone this down... I read the article today as a link from WND - have written the URL below.

www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,594674,00.html

AM

Interesting! I hadn't heard of Black Pete. I did know that the St. Nicholas in other cultures is more traditional than the american "coca-cola" santa claus. I really get fascinated with folklore and the development thereof. Especially when it traces back to a real historical figure.

[Anna Marta]

Check out Santa Claus in Finland :D:D:D

AM

[Maggy]

I got myself in trouble with building manager. She sent out an email saying that we would be closed on Isaac Newton's birthday after all. I asked if that could mean we were free to roast chestnuts on a open fire. OK, I will not quit my day job.

That went right over my head.

[Anna Marta]

Thanks Maggy, I thought I was the only one who felt the breeze going past my ears ... :o

[Hope 98]

I think that Isaac Newton's birthday is December 25th.

[JaniceB]

I did find out that the American Chestnut tree was eliminated in the early 1900s by a blight. They still grow, but can't mature. The fungus gets in their branches and kills them back to a stump again before they can produce nuts.

Seriously, we have piles of them around here. I pick them up in September and play with them. I guess it would have to be some kind of fungus-resistant variety to grow up here! Asian people gather them to boil but I haven't a clue how to roast a chestnut. Anyone?

[Willow]

I just figured you put them in the "open fire" and let them roast there for awhile... LOL
You ought to bag those things and sell them on the internet at $6.99/lb. Of course you'd probably run into FDA problems like that!